Chronicles of Zoe
by njeha
Summary: What if, in 1863, Stefan Salvatore & Valerie Tulle's unborn child survived?What if Julian failed in killing the fetus?What if Valerie and Julian truly believed the infant died?How? 147 years later, Zoe shows up unannounced and wreaks havoc left and right & has been hunted and persecuted since her birth. But she seems to be close with the Originals, most specifically, Klaus himself!
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** **All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters, ideas and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

 **A/N:** **This story starts in** _ **The Vampire Diaries**_ **, Season 4, Episode 12:** _ **A View to a Kill**_ **. I will be deviating a lot from Canon & it will have a lot of AU moments. Heads-up from now, Klaus is obviously my favorite character and I hate how he's so misunderstood, so this story will be extremely Klaus-Centric as well as Mikaelson-friendly. There will be a crossover with The Originals characters, so another heads-up. Now, another note: I know I have a lot of stories I am currently writing, but I've been plotting two TVD stories for months now, and I finally came up with many ideas for this one, so I had to write it down and post it up. Do not worry, I will never **_**ever**_ **abandon** _ **any**_ **of my stories! EVER!**

 **Enjoy! XD**

 **Chapter 1:**

" _He's more myself than I am._

 _Whatever our souls are made of,_

 _his and mine are the same._ " – Emily Brontë.

* * *

 _ **Mystic Falls**_

Fear was the main emotion consuming him, striking a chord at the center of his very being. Fear being the emotion he detested the most, because one cannot control fear, and he _loathed_ not being in control. He was a man that always had several contingency plans, always ten steps ahead of his enemies; there was always a Plan B, to back up Plan A, and if both failed, then a Plan C, and a Plan D, until he ran out of letters in the alphabet. Now however, he was taken aback, caught by surprise, and he hated surprises, because he loved being prepared for anything if it were to go awry, especially with the endless amount of enemies he had amassed throughout the millennium. His brother's resolute actions staggered him, leaving him unprepared and facing the unexpected and therefore, allowing him no time whatsoever to come up with a remarkable plan and giving him absolutely no choice but to reconsider executing the recurring action he loathed most of all: neutralize his sibling with the dagger and safely tucked away in a coffin, away from harm and the ramifications of acts done impulsively.

But fear gripped his heart, numbing his brain, rendering him speechless, and paralyzing him, for as his widened blue-green eyes discerned the scene by the front door of two of his foes that had been carelessly left ajar, only one sentence kept replaying in his head like a hopeless mantra: _He was too late_.

Two pairs of dissimilar doe-like brown eyes flickered toward him from the inside of the house, fear and defiance reflecting on their visages, and he ignored the maelstrom of grief, sorrow, misery, and utter wretchedness for being a failure as a form of protection and to hide the weakness that inevitably occurred with the loss of his little brother; he instead welcomed the unadulterated rage that never failed to make an appearance whenever he intended to mask his fear and his humanity.

" _What did you do_?!" he roared, a gold glint reflecting in his blue-green eyes, alerting his foes to the danger ahead. Tatia's second doppelgänger, Elena Gilbert swallowed her fear and met his furious glare defiantly, "We didn't have a choice. He was trying to cut off Jeremy's arm!"

His expression looked as though it had been carved from stone as his glare traveled to the shirtless Jeremy Gilbert – his tattoo shown for all to see in its newly formed glory – the latest Hunter from the Brotherhood of the Five, the accursed White Oak Stake clenched tightly in his fist. "LIES! He never would've gotten inside if _you_ hadn't have set a trap for him," each word was laced with venom, and the Gilbert siblings had the decency to flinch in terror. They thought him a fool, unable to perceive the falsehoods hidden deftly behind half-truths.

"You said you were going to put him down too," the doppelgänger retorted in defense making him see red. Him? Kill his _own_ _brother_? _His_ _flesh and blood_? Either vampirism really did a number on Elena Gilbert and turned her compassion into insanity, or she truly was a daft chit. "I was going to make him suffer on _my_ terms!" the dagger felt heavy in his pocket and he clamped down his grief in preference for unmitigated fury, "I'm going to _burn_ this house to the ground. _And_ _then_ , when you try to flee for your lives, I'll _kill you both_ without blinking," he threatened, and this time it was no empty threat. He had no more use for the Petrova Doppelgänger and the Hunter, and they _will_ pay for murdering his little brother.

The Hunter's eyes glazed with anger, "You kill us, you'll _never_ get to the cure. You'll _never_ be able to make any more hybrids."

As though they wouldn't put up a fight if the doppelgänger was human again – empty words; they all meant _nothing_ to him. _Absolutely nothing_! They knew _nothing_ of his contingencies set aside in case human doppelgänger blood was no longer available to him. Over a millennium roaming the earth taught him to always be prepared and to expect the unexpected. The second he stepped foot into this one-pony town, _he knew_ … he knew that Elena Gilbert would have a short life that will either end in permanent death, or temporary death, what with her stringing two vampires along and playing with their hearts; death and vampirism, both were inevitable.

"You _really think_ I care for an instant about my bloody hybrids?" he growled, "I want the cure so I can _destroy_ it. I would've killed you all the second we dug it up, but now I'm just gonna watch you burn instead-"his vowed threat was painfully interrupted as he let out a yell of agony, falling to the ground due to the most excruciating aneurysm he ever felt being inflicted on him repeatedly. In the haze of his pain, he could hear, as though standing from afar, the Hunter invite him in after the insistence of the Bennett witch and the next thing he knew, he stood in the living room, the pain ebbing away in the blink of an eye. Sensing dark magic tingling in the ambience, he punched at the air and as just as he predicted, was met with an invisible barrier – he was trapped.

He glared maliciously at the doppelgänger, the hunter and the Bennett witch, parting them with a promise, halting their determined footsteps as they turned to abandon the house, "I will hunt _all of you to your end_! Do you hear me? _DO YOU_!?"

The door slammed shut and he stood alone, trapped in the tasteless living room of his adversaries with the charred corpse of his little brother he had failed, laying a few feet away from him. The silence threatened to suffocate him as he no longer had anybody to rant and rave at. The chasm he locked all his repressed feelings in suddenly opened up and he was attacked with a whirlpool of pain – emotional pain. He no longer had a distraction to take his mind off the loss of his baby brother, and tears spilled down his face like rivulets as he extended a hand out, trying and failing to reach the corpse of his brother due to the invisible barrier, which only made the tears cascade quicker.

" _Kol_. Oh, brother, I am so sorry. I promise you, I knew nothing of their plan. My loyalty only ever belonged to you and Rebekah, Elijah, Finn… even if I failed in showing you all-, my intentions were always good, only to protect you and keep you close," he knew that he was allowing weakness to consume him, but there was nobody in the house but him, nobody to hear him pathetically pour his heart out, even if Kol could not hear him or answer him. He needed to say it. "I was a horrible brother, of that I know. But despite my faults and my cruelty, despite the many times I have failed you throughout the millennium, I always meant well. Countless of times I daggered you, I know you took it as a betrayal, you probably thought I hated you… I did it to protect you, I swear it. Father was right all along. I am a coward. Only upon your death I wait to tell you the truth… _I love you Kol. Always and Forever._ "

Niklaus Mikaelson decided it was time to end their childish spat. _He needed her,_ more than he ever needed anybody before. Closing his eyes, Klaus removed the block and allowed his agonizing feelings to flow through the bond, hitting the person on the other side like a whirlpool and causing her to stagger in pain.

* * *

He was dead. _Actually dead_ ; cease to exist; the end; no more… he was unable to wrap his head around the alarming truth of his demise. Over a millennium of being alive, Kol, in his arrogance, truly believed that only his older brother had the power to put him down, to neutralize him temporarily… he had never been so wrong. To be eliminated by a newbie vampire and a young hunter, well, it was quite-, _scratch that thought_ , it was _unbelievably_ mortifying. His hubris ended up being his downfall… funny – his father always warned him of that.

Disgusted with himself, Kol scrutinized his surroundings and to plainly put it, the Other Side was downright depressing, like a ghost town. Deciding to check on his siblings, Kol stopped by his beloved Bekah first, not wanting to see his bastard of a brother who betrayed him and conspired with the Gilberts into permanently putting him down. Closing his eyes, he thought of Bekah and materialized into her humble abode that she picked out after their bastard brother practically disowned her.

"I don't believe you. Kol's _not_ dead. _He can't be_!" and there she was; his little sister so predictably in denial and seeking comfort in the youngest Salvatore's arms. Kol stood rigidly in a corner, incredulous eyes narrowing in on his sister's repetitive fling. "Listen, Rebekah, they didn't have a _choice_. Kol started this when he went after Jeremy. He went after you too, do you remember? I mean, he was never going to let us find the cure." The young vampire spoke with such conviction, that the wildest Mikaelson nearly ripped all his hair off.

"You bloody dick! Pompous, self-righteous… YOU COMMITTED GENOCIDE FOR YOUR OWN SELFISH PURPOSES!" Kol bellowed, incensed beyond belief that they couldn't hear him. Those pricks didn't just murder him, but tens of thousands of vampires as well! For the first time in a long while, Kol actually had good intentions; he was committing a selfless act for the wellbeing of the damn human race! He was protecting all species including the pathetic, undeserving backs of the Scooby Gang of Mystic bloody Falls! Silas will unleash hell on _everyone_ , and they were too selfish to at least research his claims. Let them all rot in hell and suffer the consequences of their greed.

But the wildest Mikaelson was in a world of pain when his favorite sibling, his little Bex, bought Stefan Salvatore's pitiful speech. Pain shone strongly in his mahogany orbs and he shook his head as though batting away the hurt, "Wow, Bex, you got over me quick enough, huh." Not wanting to stick around for what looked like another encore of carnal pleasures, instead of observing his sister avenge him, Kol repeated his previous actions, and appeared before Elijah.

The noble brother ended up being another failure. Looking around the townhouse his eldest living brother took residence in, he was astonished to see him in the middle of a heated kissing session with non-other than Tatia's cheap knock-off and the bane of Klaus's existence.

"Well, well, well, brother. Fraternizing with dear Katerina Petrova behind the back of the brother you are so _desperate_ to save. And they call you _noble_ ," Kol spat out with ill-concealed revulsion, "When I needed my big brother to come to my aid, to play referee with our siblings, to SAVE my life from your precious Elena that you seem to respect for some confounding reason, you remain here, shacked up with the manipulative doppelgänger of your first love?!"

He didn't want to witness this any longer. Rebekah barely shed any tears for him, didn't even utter a word of vengeance – his beloved Bex, the one he always protected and defended, cared more about obtaining the blasted cure than her brother. Elijah on the other hand, advertising himself as the _noble brother_ , ensuring he incessantly moralized him, and preached: _family above all_ – he was one to talk; abandoning his family and once again, choosing _another_ Petrova over his own blood.

Nobody cared about him, even in death, they chose to ignore him – he should have gotten used to it by now, but it still bloody hurt… worse than the appearance of Marcellus. Deciding that he couldn't possibly feel any worse than he already is, Kol appeared before his bastard of a brother, confused that he materialized in the location of his demise.

"I will hunt _all of you to your end_! Do you hear me? _DO YOU_!?"

Frowning in utter perplexity, Kol gaped at his charred corpse, before traveling his gaze to his murderers and the Bennett witch, their eyes unable to mask the terror at hearing his brother's threat. Once the door slammed shut, Kol scrutinized his brother, unable to comprehend the veracity of what he overheard… Nik vowed to avenge… _him_? Ignoring his ghastly corpse for the moment, Kol cocked his head at his brother, wondering why he remained rooted to his spot in his murderers' living room of all places. It was when Nik punched the air, that he ' _ahhed'_ in comprehension.

"The witch erected an invisible barrier around you, huh," he chuckled humorlessly, "Bennett most probably bound the spell with the new moon, which means you'll be trapped here for maximum… four days, give or take a …"but his acidic comment died in his throat when he noticed Nik trying _and failing_ to reach out for his corpse, blocked by the barrier. His heart clenched in sorrow; despite Kol's grudge and anger toward his bastard brother, he couldn't pretend to understand what he was currently going through… trapped with his body for three to four days. It was an act of cruelty.

What transpired next stunned Kol to the core; he felt as though his whole world had been turned upside down at the sight of _tears_ – _actual tears_ – streaming down Niklaus Mikaelson's – of all people – face. "No. I won't, you can't make me buy that brotherly act anymore, _Klaus_. _Stop crying_!" he venomously spat out, and a little voice inside his head snarkily commented: _who's in denial now_?... "I thought crying is for the weak, _brother_! Even in death you try to fool and manipulate me! Well sorry, but it won't work! You _never_ cry. Ever since mother turned us into vampires, you have not _once_ shed a single tear-"

" _Kol_. Oh, brother, I am so sorry." Kol's mouth hung open in a comical fashion and instead of towering over him, he knelt down to properly analyze his face, only to recoil backward at the genuine sorrow and hurt. He wasn't faking it… his eyes were red-rimmed, his face was tearstained, and his voice was cracking with pure grief. "I promise you, I knew nothing of their plan. My loyalty only ever belonged to you and Rebekah, Elijah, Finn… even if I failed in showing you all-, my intentions were always good, only to protect you and keep you close."

His eyes shuttered to a close, recalling his last conversation with Nik on the phone when he accused him of conspiring with the doppelgänger and her hunter brother. He detected no lie in his older brother's words, none whatsoever. "I was a horrible brother, of that I know. But despite my faults and my cruelty, despite the many times I have failed you throughout the millennium, I always meant well. Countless of times I daggered you, I know you took it as a betrayal, you probably thought I hated you… I did it to protect you, I swear it." Kol scoffed loudly at that, allowing his rage to quash out the hope that was suddenly starting to consume him. Protect him? How the hell was daggering him a form of protection?!

Kol wanted to leave. He didn't want to hear any more lies, and as he closed his eyes to teleport away, ignoring his subconscious claiming him to be in denial, Klaus's next words prompted his eyes to fly open. "Father was right all along. I am a coward."

Why the bloody hell would he bring Mikael up? "You're becoming as mad as a hatter. Stop it!" he spat out.

"Only upon your death I wait to tell you the truth… _I love you Kol. Always and Forever._ "

Silence.

Kol blatantly gaped at his sadistic and usually emotionless brother. Since becoming vampires, Klaus only ever admitted his love to Rebekah, and the amount of times could be counted on one hand. How long had Kol hoped to hear Klaus declare brotherly love? Too long had Kol desired and ultimately given it up as a lost cause, to be included in their bloody _Always and Forever_ pact. But what shocked Kol the most, was that out of his remaining siblings, _Niklaus_ mourned him and swore retribution. Not Rebekah. Not Elijah. _Klaus_! The brother he somewhat despised at times, the brother who continuously daggered him, the brother he conspired against in 1914 to gain revenge. But in the end, it was that brother that proved his love and unwavering devotion, and vowed to avenge him, it just took him dying to finally hear and see the truth.

Sitting beside his older brother, Kol sadly watched him shudder with violent sobs as he grieved over his death. " _I love you too, Nik. Always have, always will._ "

* * *

 _ **Italy**_

The second the clock struck 3 AM, a strangled, bloodcurdling scream echoed in a prestigious penthouse situated in Via Palatino, Milano, awakening the butler, the maids, and the chef and instigating bedlam out of fear for their employer. The owner of the penthouse stumbled blindly out of her majestic king-size bed, crumbling onto the ground as a maelstrom of agonizing emotions and tormented hurt inflicted her mind, heart, and soul. Tears streamed down her tightly clenched eyelids, sliding down her neck like torrents, and two dainty, French-manicured hands clutched both sides of her head in excruciating agony, her parched throat tearing apart as she screamed.

Suddenly, tender hands wrapped themselves around her waist and the affectionate voice of her favorite elderly maid, Lucile, murmured in her ear words of comfort in rapid Italian and only once her breathing returned to its regular pace, did Lucile start barking out orders to the other maids for a glass of water. Gratefully downing the refreshing liquid, red-rimmed and watery forest-green eyes slowly fluttered open.

Never before had she felt such unbearable and unadulterated fear and grief through her bond; nine times out of ten, negative sentiments were purposely blocked, and besides, those sentiments were never even expressed in eighty-six years, since the bond's inauguration. Counting backwards from a hundred as a method of meditation, she began planning out her next course of action. The bond could not be ignored, because she _could not_ ignore him. _Never_!

Able to think clearly now, the mistress of the penthouse ignored Lucile's concern and began barking out orders to arrange her suitcase for travel and to reserve her the earliest airplane ticket, with no intended return date. The penthouse was a flurry of activity as the maids acquiesced to her demands, giving her the opportunity to communicate with her second-in-command. Disregarding the late hour, she impatiently tapped her foot against the carpeted floor and after five rings a groggy, irritated voice answered the other end, "Che cosa?"

"Viggo! Chiedo scusa, but due to an urgent matter I am leaving to Milan Malpensa Airport," she sternly spoke up, sensing her second-in-command's complete attention as he dismissed the last remnants of sleep. "You are responsible for the pack in the meantime, you hear me, Viggo? I want no cock-ups, nothing! If you need to contact me, you have both, my Italian and American number. Capisci?"

The subservient reply was instantaneous, "Perfettamente. I won't disappoint."

"See that you don't. _Ciao_!" Ending the phone call, she spared the grandmotherly Lucile with a gratified smile and allowed her to escort her to the driveway, where her personal chauffeur awaited, while conversing in fluent Italian regarding the maintenance of the penthouse in her absence. After an affectionate farewell, she arrived at Milan Malpensa Airport at post-haste and boarded her flight, comfortably seating herself in the first-class section and finally allowing herself to react to the many negative emotions she had felt through the bond.

 _I am coming, my love. And I_ _ **promise**_ _you, those responsible for meting out such pain out of you, shall suffer my wrath and beg for death!_

* * *

 _ **Mystic Falls**_

 _ **Gilbert Residence**_

Klaus spent the entire night staring at Kol's corpse. This was his torment, his karma and every second that ticked by was agonizing. He wasn't even given the opportunity to grieve in peace. No. Tyler Lockwood, his first sired hybrid who should be thanking him for freeing him of a lifetime of pain where he would have to transform and break every bone in his body, _benevolently_ stopped by to taunt him and gloat over Kol's death. Of course, wherever the mutt went, Caroline Forbes never strayed too far behind.

A tortured expression materialized on his face once the blonde vampire covered up Kol's body with a table cloth, but it was of no use – the image of his little brother was seared into his brain and would haunt him for the rest of his eternity. Come hell or high water, he _will_ bring Kol back. He just needed to bid his time until the accursed enchantment broke and then he shall wreak havoc on this town and those that played a role in his death. He won't hold back any longer – Klaus allowed the supernatural inhabitants of Mystic Falls to cross him time and time again, but no more. He shall give them the true taste of the many repercussions that befell anybody who dared harm a member of the Original Family. Witches, Werewolves, Vampires; they all used to quake at the mere sound of his name, back when Klaus was a shadow, a myth, and a whisper that evoked fear.

"Tyler's mother is dead," Klaus started, speaking up for the first time since their unsolicited arrival, "So is my brother. We're even," he turned to address Caroline, "Call Bonnie. Get her to let me out of here."

Caroline glared at him, and if looks could kill, Klaus would be ten feet under, "I will never, _ever_ , help you!"

Anger and venom pooled out of his voice, "How quickly you forget the part where I _saved_ Tyler from the misery of being a werewolf. Or the night your mother invited me into her home to _save_ the life of her _precious daughter_!"

The werewolf and the vampire were vehemently taken aback at the malice in his nuance and his eyes. While they had many violent confrontations with the Original Hybrid, and while he never masked his distaste to a certain few from their group, Caroline had always been excluded from facing his ire. Shock quickly melted away, and her face was shrouded with utmost disbelief, "How _delusional_ are you? You killed his _mother_. And let's not forget that we're standing in a house where Elena's aunt Jenna used to live. Or did you think that your charm would make us forget how you killed her, too? No. I am not going to engage in this. You are not even worth the calories I burn talking to you."

There was a ringing silence in the room, and finally, Klaus snapped. The Original Hybrid's speed was no match for the novice vampire and hybrid, and before they could even do so much as blink, Caroline was impaled by a floor lamp and Klaus swung her forward to his side of the magical barrier, her neck a hairsbreadth away from his venomous fangs.

"NO!" a panicked Tyler yelled.

Klaus froze; he was attacked by reassurance and love from his bond, the emotions overwhelming him and engulfing him like a blanket of comfort. A quivering Caroline was suddenly hurled across the room, and she landed gracelessly by Tyler's feet, the two novices staring at him with wary and terrified expressions – even trapped behind a magical barrier, and he easily bested them. " _Leave_! If I were you, unless you have the means to get me out of here, do _not_ return or I won't be as lenient. LEAVE!" he roared. As they scampered out of the house, Klaus slumped against the wall and returned to staring at Kol's covered body.

He only managed to nod off for three, maybe four hours some time after the sun rose the next day. By early afternoon, Tyler and Caroline defied him _yet again_ – not that he was surprised – returned, and this time, they did not come empty-handed. Blue-green eyes narrowed dangerously at the strangely shaped bundle in Tyler's hand, and the gold glint of his inner wolf made a brief appearance when he undid the blanket and proudly exhibited the Hunter's Sword.

"Well, well, well. I didn't peg you two down for petty theft," Klaus snarled. Tyler merely smirked and brandished it around in a smug demeanor, "Found this in your attic."

The Original Hybrid's lip twitched into a bitter smile at the solid proof of Stefan Salvatore's betrayal, for he was the _only one_ who knew of its exact location. The urge to rip his head off was tempting, unfortunately, that was a line he could never cross since he long-ago promised to protect the blasted Salvatore brothers, hence, the only reason why they still breathe the same oxygen as him no matter how many times they continued to defy him.

He spent the next hour leaning against the wall, impassively watching the vampire and the hybrid try to decode the Hunter's Sword, tinkering with the turning device, to no avail. Aggravated, Caroline gave up on her futile attempt of imploring the stoic Original with her eyes, and joined her boyfriend's side by the ground, recognition the main emotion on her visage, "It's called a cryptex!" Tyler looked at her with a raised eyebrow, and Caroline sassily pointed out, "I've seen the Da Vinci Code. You turn the different sides to the different symbols to _get_ the translation on the other side and with the magic of the internet, Elena sent over these," she turned to the table and held out a few print-outs of Jeremy's completed tattoo. "So now all we have to do is cryptex away," she exuberantly clapped her hands together and turned to her laptop and after a moment of hesitation, sent a biting remark to Klaus, "If you happened to want to help, we wouldn't stop you."

Klaus gritted his teeth; the audacity of her. Such _impudence_! Caroline Forbes was testing the last dregs of his patience. He had officially given up on messing with her head, like he had been doing since he healed her of Tyler's hybrid bite a few months ago. However, he chuckled at their expense, knowing that without his aid, they would fail to receive the answers they seek. "Right. Well, might I suggest using the magic of the internet to purchase an Aramaic-to-English dictionary from your nearest retailer," he smirked down at them, knowing that for all the usefulness and wonders of the internet and Google, the dead language was _not_ accessible.

Tyler turned to Caroline with confusion etched on his face, "What's Aramaic?"

"It's a dead language. It hasn't been used since, like, _biblical times_ ," Caroline huffed, biting her lower lip in frustration. Klaus truly was enjoying watching them flounder around – a mental kind of torture until he was released from the Bennett witch's enchanted imprisonment. "Qetsiyah's native tongue, I'm guessing," Klaus smirked malevolently in response to their vacant stares, "You know, even if you had the best dictionary in the world, it could take _days_ to translate. Perhaps _weeks_." He made himself comfortable on the armchair and smiled like the cat that caught the canary, " _In bas so-teen-too ara-ma-eet._ "

Caroline exchanged a glance of trepidation with Tyler, and warily drew out her next words, "What does that mean?"

But it wasn't the smugly smirking Klaus to deem them with a response. A sinuous, appealing voice spoke up clearly from behind them, the lithe woman with illegal curves sauntering toward them with confident footsteps, "If _only_ you spoke _Aramaic_."

In synchronization, Klaus, Caroline and Tyler pivoted around to get a better look of the intruder. She looked utterly breathtaking and simply _otherworldly_ in terms of her unsurpassed beauty; in estimation, the girl looked no older than twenty, maybe even nineteen; thick strawberry blonde waves cascaded down to her lower back, the latest Dior sunglasses perched at the top of her head; her eyes were distinctively big and almond-shaped, a forest-green color that sparkled back at them with so much life and fire and passion; she had naturally pink, plump, full lips that looked edible and extremely seductive, a petite straight-sloped nose, an ivory complexion, and a round face. She had a devious smile on her face, portraying dimples indented on either side of her cheeks. Caroline gaped at her expensive outfit, noticing that the stranger was covered from head to toe in designer clothing and accessories, and nothing but famous brands that were _to die for_. She simply screamed _billionaire_ and she had an intimidating and oppressive air about her.

"Who the hell are you?" Tyler rudely barked out, unwilling to be distracted by her otherworldly beauty. But the woman had eyes for no one but Klaus, Klaus who was staring back at her in awe, marveling her as though she were his lifeline, his anchor. He whispered her name in hope, wonder, and so much devotion that it brought a gobsmacked expression onto Tyler's face, and made Caroline weak in the knees.

" _Azalea_?"

The stranger – _Azalea?_ – beamed so brightly, she put the sun to shame. She approached the Original Hybrid with tantalizing steps and paused just outside of the erected barrier, her eyes blazing in anger as she finally comprehended the situation she walked in on, and that Klaus was trapped at his enemies' mercy. "My Love. Trouble seems to follow you, hmm?" she cheekily grinned, prompting Klaus to fondly roll his eyes and for his face to break out into an honest to god _genuine_ smile.

" _My Love_? Listen up lady, you can't just waltz in here like you own the place! Who the hell do you think you are?" Caroline growled; deep inside, she admitted that she was probably a teensy weensy bit jealous… or, _okay_ , very, very, _very_ jealous.

The woman arched an eyebrow at the newbie vampire, amusement coloring her features, "Touchy, touchy. You must be Caroline Forbes, Miss Mystic Falls, hmm?" and while the question was rhetorical, Caroline dumbly nodded in affirmative, rendered speechless over how much the stranger knew about her. Her thick, glossy waves of strawberry blonde hair flew wildly as she let her head tilt backward as she emitted a bubble of melodious laughter. "Oh, I see what you meant, Nik. Miss Forbes here does have a fiery spirit. Such a lively little thing, a remarkable plaything," she grinned roguishly as she spewed out her last words.

Caroline's jaw dropped open, horror-struck and severely insulted, " _Plaything_!"

Tyler growled at her, insulted on his girlfriend's behalf, "Watch it!"

"Or what?" the woman dared him, "If I were you _mutt_ , I'd keep your tail tucked between your legs before I shut you up with a muzzle. Got it?" And without another word, she stepped into the barrier and threw her hands around Klaus's neck, grabbing a fistful of his hair and pulling his head down to meet her lips, capturing them with hers in searing, passionate kiss filled with love and lust and desire. Automatically, Klaus's arms circled her illegal curves and he molded her body into his, attacking her lips fiercely.

 _God, how much he missed her. Despite the fact that he had last seen her two months ago and before that, he hadn't seen her for another two months, he was not used to her being far apart from him for more than a week, maximum two._

Tyler uncomfortably cleared his throat, trying to no avail to capture their attention. He grimaced at the scene, wanting nothing more than to clean his eyes with bleach to erase the image of his hated enemy making out with some hot babe. However, it was Caroline's envious shriek that succeeded in detaching their lips, "Klaus!? What the hell? Why are you playing tonsil hockey with… with _her_? Who is she?" she demanded.

The woman's currently bruised and swollen lips curved into a sweet smile that was so obviously fake, displaying a set of perfectly straight pearly teeth, "Oh, how rude of me. I forgot to introduce myself. I mean, it's only fair since I know basically _everything_ about you and your inconsequential lives due to Nik's many updates. I'm Azalea Mikaelson, but most people call me Zoe."

"Mikaelson?" Caroline weakly uttered.

"As in your…" Tyler didn't dare say the word, it could not be true. No way in hell!

Klaus smirked as though reading the mutt's thoughts, "Mikaelson, as in my wife."

"I've been looking forward to meet you all. We're going to have _so much fun_ _together_ ," and the way Zoe said it, it meant nothing good for the Mystic Falls Gang.

* * *

It has been two hours since the wife bomb was announced, and Tyler and Caroline secluded themselves in a corner trying their utmost hardest to decipher the Hunter's Sword. In the meantime, Zoe was being updated by her beloved husband over everything that befell him in the last two months. Forest-green orbs sparked dangerously and her eyes bore a hole into the corpse of the brother-in-law she never had the chance to meet – retribution echoed in the recess of her mind; oh, they would all suffer for their sins.

Klaus's voice dropped an octave, ensuring the baby vampire and the traitorous hybrid wouldn't be able to eavesdrop on their private conversation, "Love, why have you yet to obliterate the barrier?"

"Amore, patience," Zoe stroked the sculptured curves of his face, a mischievous sparkle in her entrancing eyes, "You can say it is the same reason why you have yet to inform anyone that there is only _one_ dose of the cure," she smirked, only to be met with an identical glint from her husband.

When Klaus traveled to Italy to retrieve the Hunter's Sword from Alexander's grave, he spent the weekend with Zoe. Klaus had long-ago educated Zoe in miscellaneous subjects he had learned throughout the millennium; therefore, she was friendly with the dead language. The devious spouses spent less than half an hour decrypting the Sword, and decided to keep their discovery a secret for their own selfish reasons. Klaus feared the cure would be used against him by his long list of enemies; Zoe however, she feared the emergence of Silas. But it was too late for both of them – the motley crew were at Nova Scotia were the cure would inevitably be ripped from Silas's calcified hands, and the only way to obtain the cure, was by awakening Silas and de-mummifying him.

Klaus observed as his wife became lost in a trance, and he grew deeply concerned, "Love, what is bothering you?"

Shaking her head, Zoe plastered a smile onto her face that Klaus easily saw right through, "I'll tell you once we leave from this garish house, amore. I promise. I think it's time we lend them a _helping_ hand, don't you think amore?" she winked. An evil grin materialized on Klaus's face, capturing her lips once again in a kiss, "God, I love you."

"Right back at ya, handsome," Zoe laughed, the sound drawing Caroline and Tyler's attention onto them. Klaus took the opportunity to state in a drawling nuance, "Requires a powerful witch and a hunter in full bloom. Silas rests on the far side, the means of his destruction at hand."

"What are you doing?" Tyler frowned, unconvinced they were helping them with the decoding out of the goodness of their hearts. Zoe lazily rubbed her manicured nails against the ribcage of her navy blue dress, "We don't need to explain ourselves to the likes of you," she sneered, "Now, why don't you be a dear and call your ragtag group so we could get this over with, hmm." Caroline glared at Klaus and Zoe in suspicion, her hand hesitating on her phone. Zoe burrowed her head in the crook of Klaus's neck and snapped, "We won't offer our services again. This is your last chance. Don't make me repeat myself, because I _loathe_ repeating myself. You've got perfectly good hearing what with your vampire blessed senses, so hop to it, Forbes!"

Caroline really, really HATED that girl! But nevertheless, she obediently dialed Rebekah's number, seeing no other choice. After two rings, Rebekah's voice pervaded the Gilbert's living room, "Hello?" Klaus had to physically restrain Zoe from bouncing giddily in his arms at the sound of her best friend's voice; in her defense, It has been ninety years since she last saw her and eighty-nine years since their last conversation since Nik daggered her in 1922.

"Hey, it's Caroline. We have the translation of the tattoo," she nudged her head toward Tyler who nodded in affirmative, "We're emailing you pictures of the map and the instructions right now-"

"Actually, it was me," Klaus interjected, drawing a sharp intake of breath from the other end of the phone call. "Nik, you helped?" her voice was coated in plain disbelief. Klaus rolled his eyes, "You sound so surprised, little sister."

"Shouldn't I be?" Rebekah scornfully demanded, "I mean, you don't want me to be human. You don't want any of us to be human. Why would you help us find the cure?"

Deciding it was time to make her presence known, Zoe piped up, "Oh, quit being dramatic, Bex. How many times must I tell you, that kind of behavior suits you ill." There was a deadly silence on the other end; Rebekah's breathing sounded erratic to those with uncanny hearing and when she finally spoke up, her voice was choked with tears, "Z-Zoe? Is that yo- it _can't_ be. Nik, he told me, Nik told me you were dead. Nik, this isn't funny!"

"It's really me, Bex. I told Nik to spread my death for the time being. It's a long story, we'll catch up once you return," Zoe genuinely told her, knowing that while Rebekah would detest them for lying to her about her only female friend's death, she would later understand their reasons.

Tyler and Caroline were intrigued at the startling change in conversation. This Zoe girl obviously faked her own death… the question was, _why_? Why would Klaus's wife take such drastic measures?

As expected, Rebekah was conflicted between exuberance over her best friend being alive, and fury over mourning her best friend when she had been perfectly alive the entire time. "Fine! You better have a good reason, Zoe, or so help me, I'll throttle you!" she acidly retorted. Klaus decided to cut the conversation short, a smirk on his face, "There is one more thing, Rebekah. There is only _one_ dose of the cure. You need to find it first and take it. It's the only way you'll-"Tyler recovered from his shock and hastily ended the call, both him and Caroline gawking at the smug couple in horror.

"You played us. The entire time, you've, you've always known there was enough for one person!" Caroline yelled, her fists clenched and raised in the air. Gone was the arrogant mask and the smug smirk, replaced by a menacing glare directed strictly toward Tyler, "Do you honestly think, _mate_ , that I'd allow a bunch of young vampires to risk my existence? Come now, Tyler, how many times must I tell you, I'm always ten steps ahead. _Always_. Did you ever wonder why I never responded to your many idle threats in regards to shoving the cure down my throat?"

Tyler backed away, terror the main emotion on his face. While Klaus gave the newbies a nice tongue-lashing, Zoe subtly placed her hands on a corner of the barrier and began siphoning the powerful magical barrier, recognizing it to be Expression Magic and knowing that the Bennett chit had an inevitable demise due to the wildness of this brand of magic. Zoe stepped out of the barrier and ripped off the table cloth that was cloaking Kol's charred corpse, "You can come out now, Nik."

"With pleasure," he smirked, grinning as Caroline and Tyler gaped in shock.

"B-But h-how-"

Zoe harshly cut into Caroline's stammering, "I decided it was time to cut our tête-à-tête short, pumpkin. I'd like to have a more passionate reunion with my husband, if you know what I mean," she lewdly winked, prompting Caroline to flush at the innuendo, "I mean, come on, sweets, you thought I was about to leave my husband with the likes of you? I drained your witchy friend's barrier. The only reason we are letting you live, is because once Kol returns, I'm sure he'd love the challenge in pursuing your little friends that murdered him. You can pass on the warning."

"Kol's dead!" Tyler snarled, eliciting a subtle flinch from Klaus, whose eyes glowed gold and he took a menacing step forward. Zoe rolled her eyes lazily, "Seriously? You were dead too, once upon a time, and you came back. In the world we live in, _anything_ is possible!"

Caroline had had about enough of the bitch. In an act of impulsiveness, fueled by anger, fear and envy, she flashed over to Zoe's side and curled a hand around her neck, but before she could add pressure and properly strangle her, Zoe placed the palm of her hand onto Caroline's forehead. The blonde vampire released Zoe as if she had been burned and her lips parted in a silent scream; her pale skin turned gray and her body went rigid before she collapsed onto the ground – desiccated.

"Caroline! What did you do?" Tyler's fangs extended but before he could pounce, Klaus slammed him against the wall, "You dare threaten my wife. Word of warning mate, I will not tolerate _anybody_ to touch her. Azalea is OFF LIMITS!" and without further ado, he violently smashed his head against the wall, creating a deep hole.

Zoe sashayed toward his fallen form, her face contorted in hate and anger, "You might want to stock up on your blood supply to awaken your little blonde bimbo, Tyler Lockwood. And when your _friends_ return, you make sure to tell them, that not only is there a new Mikaelson is town, tell them that they shall _all_ face the consequences for killing Kol and the clock starts now. I'll be seeing you real soon, _mutt_."

Klaus stepped forward and snapped Tyler's neck before he delicately picked up Kol's corpse and together, he and Zoe departed the Gilbert House, the front door slamming shut with an ominous thud.

 _Hell hath no fury like a Mikaelson scorned._

 **A/N:** **Well, I hope you enjoyed my new story? XD**

 **Translations: Che cosa? – What? / Chiedo scusa – I apologize. / Capisci – Do you understand. / Perfettamente – Perfectly./ – If the translations are incorrect, I do apologize, these are taken from Google Translate.**

 **1) Azalea "Zoe" Mikaelson is portrayed by Holland Roden (her real hair color is strawberry blonde BTW, she just keeps dying it apricot red). 2) BTW: I'm sure some of you noticed the slight Caroline bashing and attack of her character. Caroline Forbes is my favorite female character from both TVD & TO combined, so I promise that is not the case. Some characters will be slightly OC, but not too much. All my characters will be portrayed in both, a positive and negative light. For example; I wrote Caroline in a bad lighting, but next chapter or maybe five more down the road, she'll be portrayed in a good light again. I might attack Elena and then later compliment her, same goes for Elijah when I point out some flaws, and then show him as a knight in shining armor. So do not get insulted or disheartened if I end up attacking your all-time favorite characters, this is not a Bashing story **_**at all**_ **, and it won't be filled with a string of attacks towards specific characters. I promise. 3) Also, I hated the lack of proper mourning for Kol. HATED IT. (Other than Klaus) but still. So, he will be avenged! I also understood Kol's reasoning for acting out: he wasn't included in the** _ **Always and Forever**_ **and his siblings showed more favoritism toward Marcel (even after his betrayal became known), and that is completely unacceptable! LOL! I'm sure Kol-Fans agree… XD 4) Can anyone guess what Zoe is? How she's been alive for decades and still has the appearance of a 19/20-year-old? I look forward to reading your theories and the answer will be given as the story continues. 5) Let me know your opinion please, and I'll try and have the next chapter updated soon. Also, this story will be having AU moments and I am going to deviate A LOT from canon! Adios! ;)**

 **R &R.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** **All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters, ideas and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

 **A/N:** **Azalea "Zoe" Mikaelson – Holland Roden.**

 **The first scene of this chapter may be confusing, but it is VERY important for the future of this story! Also, the first scene took place right after Kol's death.**

 **Chapter 2:**

" _With the death of one, comes the death of all._

 _For if one goes, they all go."_

* * *

An action spurred by egocentrism and greed had an entire bloodline eradicated, completely wiped off the face of the earth. There was a flurry of seven thousand four hundred and eleven souls as they were all violently ripped apart from their spontaneously desiccating bodies, forced to abandon the land of the living and ferried to the afterlife, leaving chaos and despair in their wake as each unfortunate soul's significant other or friends or family mourned the abrupt demise and a future they have been robbed of. But the complete and utter pandemonium did not only affect Earth. _No_. The Underworld and the supernatural purgatory were going through a maelstrom of activity and anarchy, and the imbalance caused by greed needed to be restored by _him_.

A certain God lounging on his throne felt it; the exact moment Kol Mikaelson died, death was tangible in the air. Seven thousand four hundred and eleven souls could not be judged nor could they move on –irrespective of the fact that the insubordinate and insufferable, yet talented and powerful woman erected a purgatory for the departed souls of supernatural entities, barricading them from entering his domain – they had all perished before their time and therefore, had no business residing in the hereafter.

A dark scowl marred the God's striking visage as he recalled the deaths of Mikael The Destroyer, and the eldest of the Original siblings. The Destroyer sired none, and the patriarch was a blight on Earth, too consumed by pride, and obsession in eradicating the bloodline of his offspring, incited by his wife's infidelity, his death was of no consequence; Finn Mikaelson however, he was the owner of a tarnished soul as a result of spending nine centuries in a catatonic state, imprisoned in a deep abyss – only one was personally sired by him, the lovely Sage whom he harbored deep and genuine affections to, and all his progenies had been fashioned by her. Around six hundred souls perished before their time subsequent to Finn Mikaelson's death, which can be ignored.

 _But what is six hundred compared to over seven thousand!_

Rising abruptly from his ostentatious throne, the Lord of the Underworld and Ruler of the Dead transported away from his domain with a purpose, and a destination in mind. He ripped through the immaterial Veil and stormed into the Other Side, his nose scrunched up in _heavy_ disdain at such a mediocre purgatory that resembled, in basic terms, an insipid representation of Earth, just like the three Petrova Doppelgängers were absolutely banal in comparison to their progenitor. Not even a minute passed before he found himself facing the insubordinate witch who had been testing his patience for two thousand years now.

Hungry hazel-green eyes had been stalking the small group that comprised of four vampires, her descendant, a Hunter from the Brotherhood of the Five, and the brainwashed human as they prepared for their voyage to Nova Scotia, when she felt her presence demanded by _him_. She was torn between fury and fear – fury at the interruption, for she had been waiting _far_ _too long_ , two thousand years she impatiently waited for the emergence of he who betrayed her, but her fear overrode her personal desire and she wasted no time in materializing before the oppressive God.

"Lord Hades," Qetsiyah respectfully bowed her head in subservience, ensuring her voice lacked a tremble. Though, she could not withhold a diminutive flinch upon hearing his brusque demand for her to rise. Qetsiyah had last seen him four centuries ago when he spontaneously appeared for his regular inspection, and the immortal God looked exactly the same. Tall, imposing and extremely muscular, with shoulder length black hair, his albino complexion glistened in the gloomy surroundings and his intense black eyes still had the ability to freeze her insides and pierce her very soul. Despite his charismatic appeal and devilishly handsome features, she only ever saw him as a foreboding, menacing, ruthless, intimidating and oppressive being, with a low tolerance for disobedience, disloyalty and folly, and lacking a forgiving bone in his body.

"Do you know _why_ I have abandoned my domain in favor of your pitiful purgatory?" Hades demanded in his regular oily and menacing drawl, prompting a shudder to wrack her body. For once, the powerful Bennett witch lacked her heated glare and regal bearings as she quivered and perspired under his merciless stare, and she frantically shook her head in negative, not trusting her vocal cords at the current moment. "Two millennia ago, you created this _wretched_ supernatural purgatory driven by the pathetic excuse of being scorned, ridiculed and betrayed by that warlock you were to wed. Undermining _my_ authority!" he boomed coldly, eliciting the hair on the nape of her neck to rise while he remained stoic in front of her. "But I am not completely merciless. I allowed you this boon for vengeance. I applaud and admire a woman who would go through such lengths for vengeance and for that who betrayed you to suffer in perpetuity. You, with the intention of forcing he who betrayed you to spend an eternity in your fabricated purgatory, instead of moving on and finding true eternal peace with his _one true love_." There was a mocking quality in his oily tone as he took a few calculated steps toward her quivering form and with no warning whatsoever, a large hand firmly grasped her chin in a brutalizing grip, forcefully tilting her head to establish eye contact. "Recall the condition I bequeathed you with!" he sneered.

Having no choice but to stare into his frozen tar-like eyes that were glittering sinisterly, Qetsiyah summoned up the last dregs of her confidence and obediently uttered, "As long as I do not forget that my place is beneath you, keep you updated, preserve the souls in the Other Side, and keep your descendants relatively unharmed from my plans of vengeance, then me and my dimension shall remain unscathed and immune from your wrath, my Lord."

Hades released her from his iron grasp, observing the bruising fingerprints emblazoned on her creamy complexion, and nonchalantly clasped his hands behind his back, looking eerily calm, "You have failed, you _insufferable_ wrench!" he venomously hissed, and despite her violent cringe, she defiantly parted her lips to rebut his statement, if not for the burning glare she received, prompting her to snap her mouth shut and once again bow her head in subservience. "Have you not noticed the amount of souls amassed in your dimension in the past hour? Or have you been exuberantly shadowing your descendant and her accursed comrades as they prepare to embark to the one you have entombed?! While I fathom your obsession for vengeance, I do not appreciate failure, Qetsiyah Bennett! _Seven thousand four hundred and eleven souls_ ; _an entire bloodline_ , GONE! Silas shall emerge and wreak havoc on MY descendant… and all because of the greed for the accursed cure you positioned in his calcified hands!"

"The Brotherhood-"

"THE BROTHERHOOD OF THE FIVE SHALL FAIL!" Hades bellowed, the potency of his rage shaking the foundations of the Other Side and causing the hundreds of billions of souls amassed throughout two millennia to nervously scrutinize their surroundings in search for the cause of such destruction. "Only two remain from the Brotherhood your dying descendant bred in 1100 AD. One is outnumbered, and the other desires the cure for his wretched, self-absorbed sibling who is the sole cause for the death of two Original bloodlines, aided and abetted by your youngest descendant, _you wrench_!"

An oppressive silence ensued Hades' incensed speech and Qetsiyah dared not break it. A menacing growl vibrated in his throat before he calmly vowed, "I shall repair what your descendant destroyed, Qetsiyah, but _heed my warning_ , if _anything_ , anything _at all_ , shall befall my progeny, I will _descend_ upon Bonnie Bennett-"

"My Lord! You _cannot_ do that!" Qetsiyah defiantly blurted, horror coating her features. Her obsession over revenge and Silas' demise aside, the originator of the Bennett Line did indeed care for the flourishing of her lineage. "You are a God, I comprehend that. And you are the Lord of the Underworld, but you are also the Ruler of the _DEAD_ , meaning you cannot intervene with the living, and Bonnie Bennett still lives," she heatedly reminded him, uncaring about her disobedience and unmitigated fear.

Hades however, looked extremely amused and undeniably smug as he purred out his next word, " _Yes_. You forget however, the identity of my progeny. You forget the prophecy foretold many millennia's ago. And you forget who _does_ have power over the living. My descendant can easily send young, naïve Bonnie Bennett into the hereafter, and I can _easily_ storm into your dimension and force her into MY domain." A pronounced sneer marred his striking features and his cold black orbs shone with glee as a result of the sheer fear frozen onto the archaic witch's visage, "You forget your place, Qetsiyah. You may have not suffered the full extents of my wrath, or felt the unrestrained power coursing through my veins, but never forget. I am entertained by your hubris, but the fault is mine, for I have allowed you to become too comfortable, but no more. If I so desire, I can obliterate your fabricated purgatory with my fist! Have you forgotten the amount of souls I have forcefully taken from you? The souls belonging to that pesky, self-righteous Coven that unremittingly pursue my descendants to this very day."

Qetsiyah wracked her brain for the identity of any missing souls, but she came up blank, and that terrified her. Hades gave her a contemptuous smirk, "If any more proof was required depicting your failure in preserving your duties, duties I bestowed upon you, _that_ was it. Many witches have been personally plucked from this dimension by _me_ , and are currently residing in Tartarus, sentenced in the dungeon of torment and suffering in perpetuity. So do not test me, Qetsiyah. You and your descendant risk torment in that hellish component, and your dimension risks disintegration. Or maybe, I shall thread your soul onto my robe?" he threatened. Qetsiyah adopted a revolted expression, her eyes hesitantly yet fearfully raking his black flowing robes with evil souls threated into the cloth, and she shuddered, frantically shaking her head in desperation.

"Your last chance begins… _now_."

And without another word, the intimidating and ruthless God vanished, returning to the Underworld and leaving behind a purely terrified Qetsiyah to do damage control. Lord Hades was notorious for not giving second chances and she dared not risk his wrath any further.

* * *

 _ **1847**_

Federica Tulle currently sat in a booth of her choosing in a dark corner of the dingy tavern, with the sole purpose of remaining hidden from many curious eyes and safe from any eavesdroppers. She kept wringing her wrists, a force of habit depicting the level of her nerves, while her soft brown eyes flickered from the entrance to her twin daughters. It was crucial that her husband and the many members of his Coven remain in the dark concerning her spontaneous desire to depart the many protective enchantments of their abode, along with their three-year-old twin daughters. The paranoia of the Gemini Coven knew no bounds and could become very stifling and domineering, especially to Federica, who grew up in an open and friendly environment, surrounded by freedom and open-mindedness in the practice of her craft.

Yes, before Federica became a Tulle and married into the tyranny of the Gemini Coven, she was Federica De Luca, a wild and boisterous child who evolved into a free-spirited teenager with a rebellious streak. Now, she was a mere shell of her former self; due to being a rebel by nature, she abandoned her Italian roots at the age of eighteen and became a runway teenager – she covertly snuck into a cargo ship, and similarly snuck out onto the harbor where the ship docked, finding herself in America. One year into her adventure, Federica met Timothy Tulle – and although she had fallen deeply and hopelessly in love with the handsome gentleman, she had the prudence to christen herself an alias upon stepping foot onto American soil, and was known to all by the name of Federica Dacosta.

The distinctive sound of a chair scraping against the floor interrupted her trip down memory lane. Tilting her head upward, the familiar jade orbs of her mother was boring deeply into her warm browns. "Hello, madre."

Gianna De Luca arched an unimpressed brow, "Seven years I no see you. _SEVEN years_ you simply vanished, and all you can tell me is 'hello madre'?! Do you have any idea how much we suffered because of you!?"

"How did you find me?" Federica demanded, not in the mood for her mother's infamous lectures which would no doubt awaken her little ones from their peaceful slumber. Gianna's eyes softened once she noticed her granddaughters and she decided to bluntly state the reason she insisted on meeting her estranged daughter, "You covered your tracks well, Federica. But you forget of our roots, our craft, our descent. Federica Dacosta, _blaghh_! You are of my blood, I will _always_ find you. _Always_!"

Rolling her eyes in irritation, Federica rudely snapped, "Then why didn't you? Why now, _now_ after _seven_ _years_. After I built a life for myself. Why _now_ you decide to intrude on my happiness?!"

Gianna spared her youngest child a look filled with utmost pity, "Mio dio! You can lie to yourself, and you can lie to your friends, but don't dare think you can lie to your mother. You are _not_ happy! You fell for the illusion of happiness, but this," Gianna gestured her hands around their booth, "This domestic lifestyle is not you, cara. You abandoned your magic, your legacy, and your family, and _for what_?!" anger was the main emotion coloring her features, and despite Federica being twenty-five years of age, she still quailed under the formidable matriarch's enraged and disappointed gaze. "A _Tulle_?! Timothy _Tulle_ of the Gemini Coven, Federica! When your father and I discovered you were fraternizing with not only our rivals, but those that pursue us and wish to eradicate our lineage from the face of the earth, I cannot convey into words our disappointment. I know not how we went wrong with you."

"I love him, mama!" Federica implored, brown eyes watering with the beginning of tears as she desperately pleaded her case. When she first met Timothy, she masqueraded herself as a human, believing him to be oblivious of the supernatural. An innocent. It wasn't until he proposed to her, did she discover the man she was irrevocably in love with, was not only a warlock, but belonged to the very Coven hell-bent on destroying her lineage and with the blood of countless of her ancestors on their hands. She followed her heart, paraded around as a human, and it was now too late for her to escape her dreary lifestyle.

"Love? Is that what it is? Because your husband still believes you are a Dacosta. It is a one-sided love, cara; you know once he discovers you to be a De Luca, he will kill you swiftly and leave your daughters motherless. Perhaps he will end their lives as well, due to them being half De Luca," Gianna spoke with fierce conviction, prompting her daughter to flinch at the severity of the truth. Without preamble, the matriarch gravely stated, "Your father and brother are dead. The coven you married into _murdered_ them. With their untimely death, they bought me enough time to escape, but the cost was too high," she bitterly concluded, jade orbs scrutinizing her youngest child's heartbroken disposition.

Federica incessantly shook her head in denial, "No. _No_! Papa and Benito are not-, they _cannot_ be-"

"They _are_ dead. I have accepted it, and so should you," Gianna bluntly informed her, "But worry not, I discarded two witches as I fled, and they are no doubt suffering in the depths of Tartarus, tormented efficiently by our Lord. Our Lord communed with me through a dream shortly afterwards, he has given me a task to complete, one that would ensure our esteemed lineage does not fall in the category of extinction."

Guilt and sorrow plagued Federica; staring into her mother's solemn and intense jade eyes, she found herself nodding in obedience. Traitor she may be, she would appease her God and save face due to her treacherous heart. "Name it."

"Your daughter," Gianna stated, "They are half De Luca, Federica. I shall not allow my granddaughters to partake in that barbaric tradition. The Merge shall-"

Quick to defend herself and keep _both_ daughters in her life, Federica frantically interjected, " _Madre_! How can you ask of me to give up one of my daughters? To rip one twin away from the other?! Besides, the Leader of the Coven, Harold Parker gave birth to twin sons, they shall partake in the Merge."

"I care not!" Gianna snapped, her irises darkening in anger depicting the potent power she held, "Your treachery has cost us! I cannot procreate, I am too old. The survival of our legacy lay upon you now. One of your daughters shall help our lineage to flourish. You desire to betray our Lord? You want to be known as the De Luca that aided in our extinction?!"

Tears cascaded heavily down Federica's ivory complexion as her gaze traveled to her peacefully slumbering daughters. She had a duty to her Lord, and one of her angels had to suffer the consequences of her selfish actions. It took all the strength she could muster to cradle her chosen beloved into her arms and place a lingering kiss on her forehead before handing her over to her mother.

Gianna's eyes lit up in gratitude, "What is her name?"

"Veronica," Federica chocked out through tears.

Standing up in posthaste, Gianna parted her daughter with a tender smile, "We shall not cross paths again, cara. Veronica and I shall go into hiding. I vow to protect her with my life. I will educate her of her heritage and her duties, and once she is mature enough, I shall part wondrous stories of her mother, and how difficult it was for you to give her away. Spin a tale of her death, I care not how. Make it credible. Goodbye, Federica, may our Lord spare you for your betrayal and allow you to know peace with our ancestors."

Federica somberly watched her mother whisk her child away from her, and the second they departed the tavern, her remaining daughter woke up and began bawling at the top of her lungs, no doubt sensing the loss of her other half. Cradling her in her arms, Federica tearfully uttered, "Fear not, Valerie, mama loves you. I shall take care of you till my dying breath and keep you safe from Tartarus. I love you Valerie. Your madre loves you so much."

She left the tavern with her bawling daughter and proceeded to fashion a devastating accident, fabricating Veronica Tulle's death.

* * *

 _ **Mystic Falls**_

 _ **Mikaelson Mansion**_

Zoe moaned as Klaus pressed her against the door to his – now their – bedroom.

The minute they departed the Gilbert House, they clambered into the car she had rented and broke many speed limits to the Mikaelson Mansion. No later had Klaus meticulously placed Kol's charred corpse into his customized coffin, did he sweep Zoe off her feet and carry her bridal style up the stairs and into the master bedroom, wasting no time in achieving skin contact and connecting their lips, making up for all the lost time. The familiar sound of fabric ripping reverberated against the walls, and Zoe didn't bother chastising him for ruining her expensive Versace dress – Klaus being over a thousand-year-old immortal, 'frugal' didn't belong in their vocabulary.

Their lips met in a heated frenzy, kissing desperately. Once she unbuttoned his shirt with nimble fingers, forest-green eyes blatantly roamed his chiseled abs and sculptured six-pack, greedily devouring his impressive torso. Wanting to wipe off her husband's knowing and irritating smug smirk from his face, Zoe's lips latched on to his pectoral and her legs squeezed him as she wrapped them tightly around his waist, rubbing herself against the bulge in his jeans – her lips curving into a smug smirk at the sound of his breathless moans. A growl rumbled in his throat and he made quick work of her lacy bra and matching G-string, shredding them into confetti with his bare hands, before falling onto the king-size bed in a tangle of limbs, lips connecting once again.

They were desperate – their kisses were hungry, and their touches had both their skins burning in desire and wanton lust. Two months of separation did wonders to the power-couple, and they were in a bubble of theirs – one of pure bliss, completely oblivious to the outside world and anything unrelated to their current activity. Zoe felt her flesh melting to the bones; oh how she missed his scent – ambiguous, mysterious, earthy, exotic and sensual – like pheromones. Klaus on the other, his eyes unconsciously rolled to the back of his head upon catching a whiff of her addicting aroma – strawberry, jasmine, and vanilla, with an undercurrent fragrance of champagne – rich and exotic and purely unique, the epitome description of his Azalea.

Drowning in lust and the euphoric sensation of their tangled limbs, velvety lips and lingering touch, they both fought for dominance, melting into a puddle of lust and insanity. "Please…" Zoe whimpered as Klaus licked and teased her nipples into hard tips, his head moving down her body, trailing searing kisses down her stomach, and tormenting her with his talented tongue. As much as she was enjoying the foreplay and his mouth on her skin, it has been _too_ long and Zoe _needed_ him inside of her, like a suffocating woman needed that simple breath of fresh air. The potent magic coursing through her veins started thrashing wildly and saturating the air, her eyes dilated madly and Klaus groaned in desire when her distinctive forest-green eyes flared with purple fire, the powerful and coveted magic humming under his touch.

Unwilling to be tormented any longer, Zoe used her magic and flipped Klaus on his back, his enhanced strength on par with her magic. Klaus grinned up at her, too used to her bouts of impatience and spontaneity after six years of dating and eighty-six years of marriage. Crawling on top of him, Zoe allowed her hard nipples to brush against his chest and she descended onto his groin and allowed a wet pink tongue to lick the pre-cum from his tip. Klaus jolted under her administration, and his eyes glowed a ferocious gold before he – with no warning – flipped her over and impaled her with his impressive erection. In sync, husband and wife slammed their eyes shut and let out breathless, pleasurable moans; inch by inch he traveled inside her until he was fully sheathed, her warm walls hugging him so tight, he was blinded by white stars.

Zoe moaned loudly as his hands dug into her hips; she placed her hands on his chest and slowly started moving her hips back and forth, finding a blissful rhythm before they started speeding up the process in an animalistic and furious pace. Klaus allowed his primitive instincts and his inner Alpha wolf to take control, while Zoe's wild and insatiable appetite make a frenzy appearance. They both missed this, being connected to each other in such an intimate way. The bond pulsated with happiness and pure love and their mutual ecstasy.

Klaus never failed in being completely mesmerized by her. He still found it hard to believe, that him, Niklaus Mikaelson, the bastard child and proclaimed abomination, the devout believer of love being nothing but a weakness, the recluse, and many other monikers… that he had been blessed with such perfection staunchly by his side, to love him irrevocably and unfalteringly trust him without question; he had found his equal, the one person residing on this accursed planet to love and accept him completely, accepting both, the good and the bad parts of him. Klaus was in awe as he hovered above her and watched her nearing climax, while she moaned in reckless abandon.

Azalea Mikaelson made a glorious sight. She was a goddess and a queen – both, in his vision and in reality – she was his personal siren and she was his equal in every damn way.

An explosion of light blinded him just as Zoe threw her head backward in climax; she cried out his name as an earth shattering orgasm wracked her body, he flipped her over, allowing her to slump forward and fall on top of him as he spilled his seed into her. Klaus and Zoe's whole body shook with aftershocks of pleasure; she nestled her head into the crook of his neck and before they knew it, they succumbed to Morpheus' arms, safe and sound in each other's arms, just like it had always been.

* * *

 _He appeared before her, like he always have been ever since her first encounter with death; despite the intimidating and imposing picture he made, Zoe never feared him. How could she? How could she fear him when he was her family, one of her progenitors, her mentor, and her savior?_

 _He who gave her a second chance, a chance for a wonderful eternity with the other half of her soul, and the reason for such powerful magic thrumming through her veins; he gave her a purpose and for all intents and purposes, he was her father. He took that mantle after she discovered the true identity of her birth father and warned her against direct approach… one cannot force a Ripper to see sense and own up to the truth, after all._

" _My daughter, come forth," he beckoned, arms wide open. Ignoring the nauseating souls adorned on his grim robes, she barreled into his welcoming arms with no hesitation, the top of her head barely reaching his biceps. His alabaster complexion was a stark contrast against her ivory skin tone, and although her characteristics were a perfect blend of her parents, she shared a few similarities with the ruthless God; after all, they had a blood relation that went back through the course of many millennia._

 _Speaking up, her words were muffled as she was not ready to escape his warm and loving embrace, such words rarely used to describe the Lord of the Underworld, feared by all but his siblings. "Why have you traveled into my dream?"_

 _With a regrettable sigh, Hades pulled away; his hands softly cupped her cheeks, tilting her head upward, "I do apologize for interrupting your blissful sleep-"and here he sneered, repulsed over the very idea of his descendant whom he perceived as a cherished daughter of his own, enjoying carnal pleasures with a man, despite the fact that the aforementioned man was not only her husband, but one of the most powerful beings in existence. Zoe rolled her eyes in response and patiently awaited his grumblings to cease, too used to his overprotective nature. "-I have been attending to the consequences of the Original's death by the hands of those simpleton fools. Unfortunately, I can only do as much. My domain is the Underworld, and the afterlife. I have power over the dead and the departed souls. You, on the other hand, cara, you have power over the living and dominion in Earth."_

 _Zoe cocked her head to the side, perplexed slightly, "Yes, I know, padre. I already planned on resurrecting Kol. Duties aside, he_ _ **is**_ _my brother-in-law, so it is personal as well."_

" _Not just the Original, cara. Seven thousand four hundred and eleven vampires were connected to the Original's bloodline." Zoe blanched, her already distinctive big eyes widening into the size of baseballs at the mass. Hades sighed sorrowfully, pitch black eyes solemn, "You see the gravity of the situation? You will have to pool all your powers into resurrecting them. They are connected to the Original's lifeline, so you only need his remains to accomplish the deed. However," he abruptly uttered before she could part her lips and utter a word, "I shall pool my unrestricted powers to aid the process. I shall not allow you to deplete your energy in a town filled with foolish adversaries. You shall feel my presence, and together, we shall restore the balance."_

 _Relieved; no other word could describe her reaction to his words. Although she knew Nik would protect her, Zoe hated taking up the role of a damsel in distress. Spending a week, powerless, recovering from the overuse of her powers in a town filled with many threats, was not appealing._

" _And then I shall wreak havoc on the town as not only a repercussion of their greed and selfishness, but for the murder of a family member," Zoe stated with conviction. Pride shone on Hades' face, there was no denying it, but also, pity, a rare emotion expressed by the specific God, "Do not forget who else resides in that podunk town, cara. The Mikaelsons are not your only family in existence. …Be wary," he suddenly stated, his face blurring as she started to awaken in the land of the living._

" _Be wary of what?" she hastened to inquire, no longer able to feel the warmth of his embrace._

" _It has happened. Silas has been liberated-"_

* * *

 _ **Mystic Falls**_

 _ **Mikaelson Mansion**_

Waking up naked with the familiar warm body behind her was the best thing Zoe Mikaelson felt after two months of being deprived of the love of her life's presence. Sensing the change in her breathing pattern, the strong possessive arm hugging her petite frame cradled her closer to his hard chest, as though fearing her arrival had been all a realistic dream.

"Good morning, amore," Zoe crooned, squirming slightly to face the epitome of attraction; blue-green eyes pierced her very soul. Klaus smiled brightly in return, his talented fingers tenderly stroking her rosy cheeks that were still flushed with pleasure, "Morning love. I believe the reason you were smiling in your sleep was due to him visiting you?"

Chuckling, Zoe regrettably jumped out of bed, "Yes. And as much as I would like for us to have an encore of last night in the shower," he smirked at the enticing notion, "We have a brother to resurrect."

All exuberance dissipated at the reminder of his little brother's death and of his failure in protecting his family. Soft dainty hands cupped his cheeks, snapping him out of his morbid thoughts, "No, amore. I won't have any of that self-hatred crap. The fault is not yours. They shall suffer for their actions, I promise you."

An hour later, Klaus and Zoe stood before Kol's charred corpse. Klaus had no doubt in his wife's abilities – over the decades, he had seen what she was capable of, and he observed her resurrect many souls with such incredible effortless ease. But Klaus was nervous, he feared Kol's reaction, after all, his little brother died believing him to have betrayed him and conspired with the Gilberts in permanently putting him down; not only did the Original Hybrid fear Kol's cold reception, but the reaction over the 'heartless, sadistic bastard of a brother' having a wife, for not even Rebekah – as she was daggered at the time – knew or their union, or their bond.

Sensing his negative emotions through the bond, Zoe squeezed his hand in hers and flashed him a supportive smile, "Have no fear, amore. Your fear is unfounded." All of a sudden, a sly smirk materialized on her face, her forest-green eyes staring straight ahead at nobody in particular, "Hello, Kol."

"K-Kol? He's here?" Klaus suppressed his softer side and masked his features with an impassive demeanor, prompting Zoe to roll her eyes at his continuous efforts in appearing emotionless to his family.

Kol had been in Nova Scotia with the dratted Scooby Gang, watching with sadistic glee as Katerina Petrova fed his murderer to Silas, and while Kol despised the doppelgänger his noble _brother_ was enamored with, and loathed the idea of Silas emerging, he shoved all sentiments aside, wanting to capture every moment of his murderer's death. Elena Gilbert blubbering and clutching onto the ex-Hunter's body for dear life was merely the icing on the cake. After one of his sister's simpleminded suitors whisked both Gilberts off the island, Kol found himself torn over whose suffering he should view next – the catatonic Bennett Witch who had been abandoned on the island, the moronic elder Salvatore and his useless attempts in locating said witch, or his traitorous little sister's aimless wanderings with both Silas, and one of the Five on the loose.

Before his conflicted mind could settle on a victim, Kol felt a hand on his chest, directly above his heart, which struck him as odd. Three days Kol spent in the Other Side and he had been starved of tactile contact and communicating with another soul. In fact, he was utterly alone, isolated wherever he roamed, with only the ability to observe, but never to belong. The touch lingered, unmoving, and Kol's curiosity finally got the best of him. Closing his eyes, he thought of his ghastly corpse and teleported away, only to find himself gaping at the scene before his very eyes: Klaus stood before his corpse with an utterly enchanting woman by his side. He watched the absolute affection flicker in his emotionless brother's eyes as she kept one hand over his heart and the other squeezing Klaus' hand in comfort.

Caught off guard once again, mesmerizing forest-green eyes met his mahogany browns, and they sparkled with fire and passion and determination, and what surprised him most of all, she was looking right _at_ him, instead of right _through_ him. "Hello, Kol." That sly smirk held a dozen meanings and the wildest Mikaelson ignored his brother's next words, too enraptured and gobsmacked with the brazen blonde. "Y-You can, _you can see me_?" he gulped, hoping this was no dream. Three days in purgatory made him desperate for companionship.

"Better than that, I am going to bring you back," she stated, authority and conviction palpable in her tone. Kol, being a witch prodigy before his mother turned him into a vampire, wracked his brain for any witch he met or heard of with the ability to commune with the dead and resurrect them, but he came up blank.

Aggravated at the one-sided conversation, Klaus demanded – and predictably so, if Zoe's smirk had anything to say about it – her attention, "Love, you know I hate being kept in the dark. I am no dullard, you have something else up your sleeve. What is it?"

"Amore, my purpose is not only bringing Kol back," Zoe slowly drew out each word, trying to assure her husband with her eyes, ignoring a baffled Kol for the time being, "Over seven thousand vampires died alongside Kol and it has created a tremendous imbalance. I am tasked with resurrecting them all."

Klaus, and unseen to him – Kol, were gaping at Zoe as though she had completely lost her marbles, "Azalea, that is preposterous. Do not mistake my concern to be doubt over your capabilities, but expelling that much power will weaken you and deplete your magic." Again, unseen to Klaus and Kol, Hades appeared before them, one large alabaster hand hovering over the dainty hand above Kol's heart, a pronounced sneer on his face, prompting Zoe to burst out laughing. "I do not see how my concern over your wellbeing is a laughing matter, Azalea!"

Coughing back her giggles, Zoe wildly shook her head, eyes sparkling with mirth, "I assure you, I am not laughing at you, but at the insulted glare Hades directs at you. There mere fact you insinuated he would allow me to expel that much power is a laughing matter, amore. He is here to help with the process. He too does not dare leave me defenseless in a town full of arrogant morons."

At that moment, Kol froze, his eyes widening in comprehension and disbelief. He dismissed the sheepish expression that rarely made an appearance on his brother's face, in favor for scrutinizing the otherworldly blonde. In the 13th and 14th century, Silas was not the only "fabled myth" he was made aware of by the plethora of witches he traveled with; tales were told of the Greek God Hades, also known for his Roman counterpart Pluto, and of how he purposely appeared to a powerful witch over three millennia ago with the sole purpose of creating a powerful lineage, blessed with his mythical powers, culminating with the birth of the prophecy child who shall be personally chosen by Hades and become the-… no. No! The fairy tale of Silas, he believed… but for him to believe that Greek Gods _actually_ existed – no, that was too, _too_ farfetched, completely ludicrous.

Kol's erratic thoughts were interrupted by melodious giggling and he found himself once again, on the receiving end of unnerving forest-green eyes, formed into crescent-shapes of mirth, "I assure you, Kol, they _do_ exist. Those tales you hearkened were true, to be precise, those witches you traveled with, they unknowingly spoke of the De Luca lineage of powerful witches, also descendants of Hades himself. Vampires, werewolves, witches… _why not_ Greek Gods?" she smirked, and it was so cheeky, it mirrored Kol's playfulness before his untimely death.

"Did you just read my mind?" Kol bluntly inquired, glaring as Klaus' lips quirked in amusement.

"I have unlimited control of the dead, Kol. Of course I did," she retorted as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. Sarcasm returned tenfold, Kol rebutted while rolling his eyes, "Oh, of course. How _silly_ of me."

Klaus' impatience had reached its limit, "Can we get a move on already, love? I want this over and done with."

Unbothered by her husband, Zoe playfully smacked his abdomen, "Oh, do be quiet." Finding amusement at Kol's agape jaw – for nobody treated Klaus with such blasé and escaped unscathed – Zoe addressed the dead Original while ignoring Hades' glowering stare aimed at Klaus, "You ready for your resurrection? Or do want to continue chitchatting?"

Kol's entire demeanor brightened, but Zoe easily saw through his mask – he resembled an insecure child not daring to get his hopes up while anxious to escape his torment, his purgatory, "The tales spoke of the prophecy… you're the necromancer, aren't you?"

And Zoe stated three words that sealed Kol Mikaelson's fate, "I'm the necromancer."

 **A/N:** **How did you like this chapter? XD**

 **After receiving so many followers, I couldn't leave you hanging for another week to post up the next chapter! You all inspired me.**

 **(1) Okay, so… I know this chapter moved along slowly, but since I am deviating from canon, many things will change, even dates and times and events, so the process shall be slow and then there will be (sometimes) time skip. It's all depending on how the story moves along. (2) Now, the first scene of this chapter was VERY important. The conversation between Hades and Qetsiyah… I hope it wasn't confusing? Now some of you may be wondering what the Greek Gods have to do with this story. My answer: everything. Why? Because it will be crucial in understanding Zoe and the nature of her abilities. No, this is NOT a crossover with Percy Jackson, I am merely plucking a few things out of it and mixing it with mythology. However… does anyone want a few characters from Percy Jackson to appear? If yes, let me know and I'll see what I can do. (3) Did you all catch the subtle reference to the Gemini Coven in the first scene? (4) Okay, now the second scene, it is important because it speaks of Hades' descendants AND Zoe's ancestors (along with Valerie Tulle – her mother). There will be flashbacks either in every chapter or every two chapters, showing the course of Zoe's life until present day – I mean, how did she meet Klaus? Are you excited and curious about finding out? ;) (5) Heretics – I am surprised none of you caught on to the fact that Zoe entered the Gilbert House WITHOUT an invitation, therefore proving she was not, in fact, a vampire, or half-vampire, whatever. But yes, for those that did catch on, she is also a Siphoner inherited from her Gemini birthright. (6) I am sorry if Zoe's nature is confusing, I promise it will make more sense as the story proceeds, and do not hesitate to ask any questions, I will answer them and eliminate that irritating confusion. LOL. (7) Necromancer? Siphoner? Immortal? Is it confusing? As well as De Luca? Salvatore? Gemini Witch? Mikaelson? Yeah… Zoe has a lot of roots. But really, it is simple if you add the dots. Valerie is half De Luca and half Gemini Witch/Siphoner, and her father is a Salvatore. Don't worry, it will make more sense in the following chapters, just be patient. (8) Next chapter *drum beats* Kol will be back, in the flesh! YAY! I am so excited for that! XD**

 **R &R.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** **All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters, ideas and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

 **A/N:** **Azalea "Zoe" Mikaelson – Holland Roden.**

 **Chapter 3:**

" _Lethe, the river of oblivion, rolls his watery labyrinth,_

 _which whoso drinks forgets both joy and grief._ " – John Milton.

* * *

For the entirety of three days, the one-hundred-and-ninety-five countries in Earth were simultaneously suffering from a maelstrom of bereft, tumult and disarray.

All around the globe, depending on the respective time zones – children were laughing in the playground; tourists were appreciating the many sights and landmarks each city had to offer; families were enjoying a day out, or a night in; teenagers were shopping at the mall or watching the latest movies with their friends; couples were having their first date; engagements blossomed; weddings flourished; honeymoons were spent in bliss; women went into labor and newborns were brought into the world; funerals were arranged and in attendance; life went on normally, like it always did.

However, the normal state of activity was disrupted when all of a sudden, with absolutely no forewarning whatsoever, individuals froze in their tracks and started to convulse, their skin morphing into an ashen grey with thick, sickly veins spreading across their entire form and their faces. After a few seconds of choking in agony, they simply dropped dead onto the ground, like a marionette that had its strings cut off, eyes frozen in confusion, pain and fear, staring into oblivion. Screams of confusion and grief echoed like a morbid army of choirs in one-hundred-and-ninety-five countries. The officials feared some unknown global epidemic was at work, and chaos commenced.

How where they to know that the seven thousand four hundred and eleven that dropped were vampires?

Those few that knew of the existence of supernatural entities immediately understood that something terrible was going amiss in the supernatural world. Oblivious scientists began running tests with the blood and the organs of the deceased, trying to solve the frightening enigma before the epidemic evolved more and wiped humans completely off the face of the planet, fearing The Black Death's revival. The fallen vampires' human, witch, vampire, or even werewolf lovers swore vengeance against whomever had been the cause of their significant other's death, while some had the strength to hide the bodies from plain sight, including a few vampire hunters that immediately set the corpses ablaze before the officials arrived on the scene.

All in all, the entire world was engulfed in complete pandemonium and fear… all because of the selfishness of one girl and her friends.

As the third night of mayhem passed without any results in regards to the reason behind the pandemic, and the second morning of disarray ensued, the uproar calmed and peace was restored: inexplicably, the thick veins receded and the former ashen gray had a healthy glow once again; the deceased sprung back to life, and the ashes of the fallen molded, from ash to bone, from bone to flesh, from flesh to life.

Once the balance was restored, the Lord of the Sky and the Lord of the Dead set aside their feud, and worked in harmony. A river existed in the Underworld, whose waters caused forgetfulness, and only the Lord of the Underworld had the power to use it to his advantage; therefore, when the Lord of the Sky summoned a potent, world-wide thunderstorm that compelled every mortal to head outdoor and inspect the bizarre weather so close to summer, they were each hit with droplets from the River Lethe, and the commotion of the past three days was completely wiped off and erased from mind.

Only three locations were simultaneously, untouched and unaffected by the brutal thunderstorm and the effects of Lethe; three locations humming and thrumming with wild, intoxicating magic due to not only their powerful inhabitants and protective enchantments, but them being hotbeds of supernatural events: Mystic Falls, New Orleans, and a specific island off the coast of Nova Scotia.

* * *

 _ **Mystic Falls**_

 _ **Mikaelson Mansion**_

Them being the offspring of Hades, De Lucas were quite notorious for having a stubborn trait that was unrivaled. Despite the influx of energy Zoe exhausted to resurrect over seven thousand vampires throughout the world, she adamantly disagreed with Klaus' demanded 'suggestion' that she sleep and thus revitalize her energy.

Once the deed was accomplished, Hades wordlessly departed to take care of damage control with his brother, a clap of thunder occurring not five minutes later. Kol had been absorbed in a world of his own as he began feeling every sliver of skin – ignoring Zoe's amused comment of, "get a room!" – as he acquainted with himself once again before gulping down the many blood bags set aside for him.

"Azalea, you _need_ to rest! You exerted too much powe-"

Rolling her eyes in fond irritation, Zoe tenderly grabbed both her husband's hands and softly, yet confidently, informed him, "Amore, I am not your everyday witch. You _know that_. I don't need such banal methods of recovery, I am no mortal. I just need coffee, and a smoothie of my own concoction and I'll be right as rain in no time." Besides, since Hades pooled his unlimited power to aid in her endeavor, Zoe was consumed with even more energy – to feel such potent, unrestrained death magic from her forefather coursing through your veins and your entire being was such a rush, addictive like a drug.

Undeterred, Klaus parted his lips to deliver an equally tenacious retort, when Kol's curiosity got the best of him, and he found himself unable to stay silent for a moment longer, "Could you continue your banter _after_ you fill me in on how the bloody hell you're on first-name basis with _the_ necromancer?!" In comedic unison, Klaus and Zoe whipped around to face Kol, both sporting sheepish expressions for forgetting about their newly-resurrected family member in their midst. And for the first time in… _ever_ , Kol bore witness to his ruthless, heartless and emotionless older brother reduced to a stuttering mess as he stumbled over his words.

"Well, brother, Zoe- well, Azalea, she is, my uh-"

Taking pity on her husband, Zoe interlaced her fingers with his and stuck her left hand up, showcasing the blinding, jaw-dropping, and ostentatious custom-made diamond wedding ring that sat snugly on her fourth finger with the famed "M" Mikaelson emblem. "I'm Nik's wife. It's great to finally meet you in the flesh, Kol."

"W-wife- what?! What do you mean _wife_?!" Kol's mahogany orbs bore into Klaus's blue-greens in utter disbelief, "What happened to love being a 'weakness'?! Is this a joke?!" Deciding it was her cue to disengage from the brothers, Zoe sauntered over to the kitchen to begin concocting her revitalizing smoothie while still keep a watchful eye on her husband and brother-in-law. Klaus let out a weary sigh and dragged a hand down his face before squarely meeting the skeptical eyes of the baby brother he thought he had lost forever. "No, Kol. I assure you, this is no joke. Azalea and I have been together since 1919, and we have been married for eighty-six years-"

"EIGHTY-SIX… bloody hell!" Kol bellowed in unmitigated shock, staring at his hybrid brother as though he had grown a second head. Klaus nodded automatically, "Yes, eighty-six years, brother. We are soul bonded-"

"I need a drink," Kol abruptly spat out, storming over to the impressive liquor cabinet Klaus always kept fully stocked. In the supernatural world, being married was one thing, and soul bonded was another… to have a soul bond was unbreakable; it was the most intimate, trusting act of love and devotion a being ever knew. Even the most moral and compassionate vampires never had it in them to initiate the pure act of a soul bond… but his bastard, heartless, murderous 'abomination' hybrid brother could? Kol could not grapple such an idea. …However, during the wildest Mikaelson's temporary residence in Purgatory, he was given the rare sight of his brother's true nature… watched him cry for the first time, heard the true grief and sorrow in his tone, and for the first time since their transformation from humans to vampires, Nik professed his love to him, apologizing for never showing him brotherly love in fear that it would make him weak. Kol mulled the possibility of Nik portraying a mask of apathy for a millennium, and the reason behind it.

Turning around, Kol covertly observed his brother's interaction with the necromancer as they gave him privacy with his thoughts. Despite the necromancer's power and status, Nik treated her tenderly, as though she were a porcelain doll. He could not deny the pure affection in those blue-green eyes that had always glimmered with malicious intent… it was like stepping into a twilight zone.

Suddenly, entrancing forest-green eyes snapped over to his direction and evenly met his eyes, accompanied with a genuine breathtaking smile, "How's the thinking process going?" Her melodious voice broke the trance Klaus was in, and the couple looked at him expectantly, patiently awaiting his response.

Holding his glass of bourbon as though it were an anchor to reality, Kol cautiously strode towards them and plopped onto the stool at the kitchen island, "It's a lot to take in… I just- I'm having a hard time believing Nik was capable of love and monogamy… no offense," he quipped in a drawl, his lips tugging into its signature smirk. Klaus rolled his eyes in response, having long accepted the fact that his siblings would always associate him with the monster Mikael always claimed him to be.

Zoe on the other hand, was not amused. Pouring the contents of the thick, greenish-brown sludge from the blender into a transparent glass, Zoe took a few tentative sips before regarding her brother-in-law with a sharp gaze, "I am going to lay all the facts on the table, Kol, and do not interrupt me until I'm done." Kol gulped loudly, not having missed the ominous tone in her voice. "I fell in love with Nik under no misconceptions. I know _exactly_ who he is, _what_ he has done, and the many lives he snuffed out. _And_! I have accepted him for who he is; the good _and_ the bad. We all have darkness inside of us. Nobody can be only good, or only bad, there must be a balance… there is _always_ a balance. When we initiated a soul bond, and when he proposed, there were absolutely no stipulations. I didn't ask him to change, or to cut down on the killings, I only asked for one thing. _One thing_. One thing that he too, asked of me as well. That we remain faithful to one another. You with me so far?"

Flummoxed, Kol nodded quickly in affirmative, though thoughts of that newbie blonde vampire his brother was so obsessed with revolved in his head. Reading his mind, Zoe smirked and offhandedly waved a hand in the air, "Caroline Forbes was a challenge, dear brother-in-law. A life of immortality can be boring at times, especially when Nik and I are forced to remain apart for business. Sometimes we choose a victim, and initiate a challenge of cat and mouse, seeing how long it would take until we break a person. Nik was merely leading little Forbes on; I was aware of everything happening in my absence." Kol's eyes snapped over to Klaus in shock, taking in the amused smirk on his face as he began cooking dinner – _dinner_! Kol couldn't believe how domestic his notoriously cruel brother was being.

"Tell me, Kol," Zoe's voice snapped him back to the present, "What grievances do you have with Nik. List them for me."

And that was all it took for the dam to break, "Are you serious?! He _daggered_ me! … _Many_ times! I've spent over two hundred years in a bloody _box_ being carted around like _luggage_! If I ever disagreed with him then I'd be daggered! I had no freedom, no safety among my _own_ family. And then, let's not forget about that bloody 'Always and Forever' oath that I was kept _OUT OF_! Then that orphan rat came into the picture-"Klaus flinched violently at the mention of Marcellus, but he adamantly kept his head bowed, and his eyes on Zoe's dinner. "Marcellus was treated as family, while I? _I_ was treated as an outsider, as vermin. All I wanted was to be loved. Mayhem and destruction followed my wake as a desperate plea for attention from my siblings, and instead of showing me love, and treating me as a member of this blasted, accursed family, I was introduced to a dagger and a lovely custom-made coffin! So tell me, necromancer, are these _'grievances'_ enough for you, or should I list more?!"

A stifling silence blanketed the three Mikaelsons. Kol was inhaling and exhaling harshly, drained from spilling his guts for the first time since he lost his magic and became a vampire, and it felt oddly therapeutic, Kol felt at peace with himself. And then it hit him; suspiciously, he met the entrancing eyes of his… sister-in-law… and she looked awfully smug with herself. The little vixen planned this!

"1702, 1821, 1914," Zoe stated, ticking each year off on her finger.

Tilting his head to the side, Kol frowned in confusion, "What?"

Inhaling a deep breath, Zoe leaned forward across the kitchen island and met Kol with an intense gaze, "Not counting the Brotherhood of the Five and Alaric Saltzman, those were the three instances that Nik had you daggered, am I correct?" after a bemused nod, the feisty necromancer continued, "Nik didn't leave anything out, Kol. He told me when, how, where, and why he daggered you. Did you ever wonder _why_ Nik used such means to lock you away? Did you ever ask? No. You simply accused him of wrongdoing, judged him harshly and schemed behind his back for a way to put him down in vengeance… yes, I know all about your alliance with Mary-Alice Claire and Astrid Malchance, I know of your business with the paragon diamond. Let me set the facts straight for you. In 1702 you were so corrupt, so bloodthirsty that you decided to throw your brother to _Mikael_ ," she spat the name out with such hatred, "so that you could continue to wreak havoc and indulge in debauchery as opposed to running from a monster that wished to kill your brother and most probably yourself. Instead of leaving you to the wrath of Mikael – who I assure you, would have killed you with no remorse – Nik was forced to dagger you. After settling in New Orleans, Nik wished to relieve you from your isolated torment, but _Elijah_ feared your ire and coerced Nik into letting you stew for a while longer until they built a safe haven in the French Quarter."

Kol paled at the new bit of information. He honestly believed that Mikael was only after Niklaus because he was the bastard child. He knew better than to argue with the necromancer, she had control over the dead, and since vampires were the living-dead, then Zoe would have easily known Mikael's objectives.

"Nik had to be cruel for you all to survive. But he met a young boy and the sight of him warmed his heart. Marcellus Gerard was abused, and beaten, and treated crudely by his own father, and Nik saw a kinship in him because the man who was supposed to be a father and love him unconditionally treated him with the same brutality while you all watched by the sidelines," Zoe snapped heatedly, "Nik wanted to spare him a life like his and adopted him into his home and named himself the boy's surrogate father. Naturally, Elijah began to endear himself to the boy and Nik felt alone once more, so he disregarded Elijah's demands, and released you from your torment. And then, you threatened Marcellus' life, like Mikael continued to threaten Nik's, but still… _still_ , Nik kept giving you chances and made up excuses until Elijah once again, bullied him into putting you down. Let's skip to the year 1914, where you began plotting behind Nik's back over a way to put him down. With Nik weakened, you would ALL become easy prey for Mikael! And when you were finally daggered at that Christmas party, Rebekah was the one to betray you, and Elijah was the one that held you back so that Nik could easily dagger you. It's simple to place all the blame on Nik's shoulders _isn't it_?"

Not willing to accept that he had misjudged his brother entirely, Kol stubbornly mumbled, "But he was the one who kept me in a coffin for a century!"

"To _protect_ you!" Zoe snidely retorted, smacking her hand against the table. "The second Mikael died, Nik immediately went to undagger you, but Stefan Salvatore took you hostage in revenge and once Nik finally got you all back, Elijah beat him to it." Once Kol was rendered speechless, Zoe added in a softer tone, "Now, I'm not saying I agree with Nik's tactics, I mean… when I found out he daggered Rebekah, I didn't talk to him for a long time. I would have preferred he spoke genuinely to you, and was honest with his feelings and his fears, but Nik doesn't like looking weak, and, no offense amore," she cheekily winked at a grumpy-looking Klaus, "But Nik has a hard time showing emotion. All I'm saying Kol," and to Kol's immense surprise, he felt her soft, dainty hand squeeze his in affection, "Is all of you made mistakes, and each one of you equally carries the blame. Just because it's easier to blame Nik for everything, doesn't mean you should."

And without another word, Zoe took Klaus' place by the stove and shooed him away for a one-on-one with his newly-resurrected little brother.

* * *

 _ **Mystic Falls**_

 _ **Gilbert Residence**_

When Stefan and Elena returned back to Mystic Falls with Jeremy's lifeless body, they weren't mentally prepared for the scene awaiting them in the living room of the Gilbert Residence.

Tyler Lockwood and Liz Forbes stood a short distance away, staring solemn eyes at somebody in particular. The ground by their feet was littered with over two dozen empty and wildly discarded blood bags. The sound of heavy, desperate slurping could be heard followed by more blood bags being littered on the ground. Cautiously ambling into the house, a frantic Stefan and an Elena in denial gaped at an ashen Caroline Forbes, a feral glint in her eyes as she greedily grabbed blood bags from a large cooler set in front of her, drinking with abandon, uncaring over the fact that many pairs of eyes were worriedly scrutinizing her as she depleted the blood supply Liz freshly brought over from Mystic Falls General.

"What's going on?" Elena blurted out, eyes widening on the perplexing scene. Caroline usually had more control than she was currently portraying. Shifting her stare to a gobsmacked Stefan who had yet to put down Jeremy's limp form, Elena frantically inquired, "Is she- is Caroline turning into a Ripper?!"

But before Stefan could formulate an answer, Tyler and Liz instantaneously cried out a negative response and Tyler, who was shaking in a mixture of rage and fear, repeated the events that happened for the second time. "We had Klaus trapped, and everything was going well for us. And then this strange woman showed up, and she-she entered the boundary and helped us along with Klaus to translate the sword. And I don't know how she did it, but she broke Bonnie's boundary spell, threatened us all for killing Kol and I don't know but she-she, she _desiccated_ Caroline with _one touch_ before Klaus snapped my neck. When I woke up, they were gone and so was Kol's body. I didn't know what to do, I couldn't leave Care, so I called Liz and had her bring a lot of blood 'cause that's what the strange woman told me."

Tearfully, Liz took over, "It took a dozen blood bags for Caroline to be able to sit upright, and she's still weak. She can't stop drinking blood!"

"But usually six blood bags would be more than enough," Stefan frowned in perplexity. Elena however, was more concerned with one thing in particular, "Woman? What woman?"

"Get this," Tyler snorted, "She's Klaus's wife."

"WHAT?" Stefan and Elena yelled, eyes widening in surprise. Suddenly, the disturbing slurping sounds came to an abrupt halt, and Caroline weakly leaned against the wall in order to shoot up to her feet, finally feeling alive again as opposed to her previous deadened state, much to the other four's relief. "Azalea, or Zoe, whatever her name is. She's not lying. I saw the ring on her finger. Apparently we were all fooled by Klaus. This whole blonde distraction was a complete joke. Klaus let us fool him on purpose, it was all some sick game between him and his wife," she spat out in indignation and shame. Fear was the main emotion portrayed in her cornflower blue eyes as she stared at her mother, her boyfriend, and her two best friends, "And she's powerful. I-I felt it when she-when s-she t-t-touched m-me. I desiccated in a split second with no effort on her part. She tore through the boundary spell like it was butter paper, freeing Klaus in the process."

Not wanting to process a new deadly rival- or worse, a Mikaelson- in Mystic Falls, Stefan said, "If that's the case then, why didn't they kill you both? Why snap your neck and desiccate you?"

Grimacing, Tyler offered a response after Caroline shrugged, having missed the threat they were imparted with before the excruciating pain of having his neck snapped took over, "Because they wanted me to pass on a message… that not only is there a new Mikaelson in town, but that we're all going to face the consequences for killing Kol."

Hyperventilating at the new threat, Elena rapidly shook her head as fat tears cascaded down her olive complexion, "I can't-I can't think about that right now. I just, I-I can't. Right now we have to get Jeremy back. Katherine killed him, and the Gilbert ring is taking too long to resuscitate him."

While Elena's tearful eyes were glued to her brother's corpse, she failed to see the other four pierce the back of her head with a sympathetic gaze, knowing all too well that the ring only works on non-supernatural beings, and since Jeremy had been a hunter of the Brotherhood, the ring no longer protected him anymore.

* * *

Qetsiyah was torn between observing her youngest descendant be fooled by he who scorned her, or the last Hunter of the Five be bested by the only female Original Vampire and the hotheaded Salvatore brother. Her two millennium scheme was unceremoniously failing! With her descendant ensnared by Silas's clever tongue, and her last failsafe left abandoned in the island to die of starvation and dehydration, the wrath of Silas would be unleashed into Mystic Falls, were Hades' progeny currently dwelled in.

Not only were her plans destroyed by young Bonnie Bennett's gullibility, but it seemed like her punishment in Tartarus was looming closer in the horizon. If anything were to befall the necromancer because of her and her descendant's inability to overwhelm Silas, then Lord Hades would be coming for her and the entire Bennett Line.

The cure was currently in the second doppelgänger of her bane of existence's possession, meant to be used as a bargaining chip. The only weapon that could be used to finally kill Silas and conclude her plan for vengeance was in a manipulative vampire's hands, a vampire who only cared for self-preservation and her freedom. Many contenders were seeking out the cure; the Original Hybrid wished to destroy it before it could be used as a weapon against him, the female Original Vampire and Amara's third doppelgänger _both_ , wished to imbibe it to become mortal, and only the necromancer knew of the importance of using the cure against Silas, but in doing so, could place herself in danger and therefore risk Lord Hades' wrath against the entire Bennett Line.

From the Other Side, Qetsiyah began plotting ways to undo the hold Silas held on Bonnie Bennett. She needed to hold a Bennett Coven gathering, a feat that had never been done before due to Qetsiyah's obsession with staking out Silas' tomb and the Brotherhood of the Five. While she was the progenitor of the Bennett Line, she was not as arrogant to believe that she didn't need any help.

Not only was Qetsiyah Bennett terrified to death, she was desperate.

Closing her hazel-green eyes, the most powerful Bennett witch sensed for her familial bonds and one by one, began summoning the many dead Bennett witches that had amassed in the Other Side in over two millennium.

It was time for a reunion, the extinction of the Bennett Line was at risk.

* * *

 _ **Mystic Falls**_

 _ **Mikaelson Mansion**_

"I saw you."

Gripping his glass of scotch tightly, Klaus looked over his shoulder to meet the pair of intense mahogany eyes, "Pardon?"

After a stifling family dinner of three, the three Mikaelsons went their separate ways, spread widely in the Mikaelson Mansion. Zoe shut herself into the master bedroom and went into a meditative stance, where she could commune with the dead or possibly get in touch with her forefather; Klaus distracted himself by perusing through the meticulously organized reports Zoe had put together for him that stated the wellbeing of his hybrids, and the werewolf packs in Italy that were loyal to him; and Kol, the wildest Mikaelson was torn between exacting his revenge with Elena Gilbert now that the young hunter met his end, but after Zoe informed him that timing was everything, decided to mull over everything he had learned of his supposedly cruel and heartless big brother with a bottle of bourbon.

Finally having tired of the oppressing silence, Kol decided to confront Klaus, after all… the ball was in his court. "When I died," Kol hesitantly stated, seating himself in the armchair in front of his nervous brother. "I saw you mourn me. I heard… _everything_ , Nik."

At those words, Kol suppressed the need to smack himself in the face for his many failures in reading his brother's true emotions. While Klaus obstinately tried keeping his apathetic mask firmly in place, Kol easily detected the uncertainty and nerves displayed on his handsomely chiseled face. Throughout the millennium, Kol felt unloved by his siblings; Kol Mikaelson, the leftover, the last choice, the grudgingly acknowledged brother, the brother beneath the orphan rat who had become an honorary Mikaelson… in truth, all Kol's true feelings and self-deprecation was mirrored in Niklaus himself. The one hunted for being the son of a werewolf, the one stripped of his true nature and cursed to live an eternity being suppressed and incomplete, never loved by his father even before his true parentage came out into the open, the one titled as an abomination, and the one blamed for the sins of his mother.

The glaring truth, was that Niklaus and Kol Mikaelson actually had a lot in the common… they were both cut from the same cloth.

"I was grieving, Kol," Klaus retreated, nervously bringing the scotch to his lips, "People say things when in mourning."

"Oh, bullocks brother!" Kol good-naturedly chimed, "Just admit it, you love me. You cannot stand living without your charming, pain in the ass of a brother."

Chuckling, Klaus's raspberry lips widened into a heartwarming smile, "Guilty." and in the blink of an eye, he adopted a solemn visage, "I'm your big brother, Kol. I swore, on the day you were born… even before that, when mother was pregnant with you, I vowed to protect you with my life. And I failed. I made you hate me. My doubts and my uncertainty and my fears made me a monster, and while I admit I am not to blame for everything, I am _as_ guilty for all I had done to you. Most of all, I am guilty for pandering to Elijah's whims. He always feared the both of us being in close proximity to each other would end up decimating cities," he chuckled bitterly. "I wish to start anew, become true brothers again, like we were before becoming vampires. No more lies, no more deceit… brother…a family."

Hearing such heartfelt words as an invisible specter was one thing, being the recipient to words he never believed to be alive to hear from Klaus, that was another. "So, we leave the past in the past? Is that what you're saying?"

"Yes," Klaus abruptly responded, "And Kol… although you weren't present when Elijah, Rebekah and I made a vow to each other, you had always been included. Always and Forever, brother."

Kol would forevermore deny profusely that there were tears in his eyes, and in a somewhat choked voice, Kol flashed Klaus a watery smile, "I love you too, Nik."

* * *

 _ **Mystic Falls**_

 _ **Gilbert Residence**_

Hours came and went; the stench of decaying flesh was potent in the air, overwhelming those with sensitive senses. After the wife bomb was dropped and Caroline was sufficiently back to her normal vampiric self, Elena remained staunchly plastered to Jeremy's side, not budging from his bedroom. Liz left a while back to create a story of Jeremy's demise – behind Elena's back, due to her drowning in denial – and Meredith Fell even made an appearance to analyze Jeremy's condition, gravely informing them that, "Jeremy died of extreme blood loss. His neck also appears to be broken. The lack of blood explains why there's no lividity, but his muscles have tightened past the point of rigor mortis."

To bluntly put it: Jeremy was dead, and the resuscitation ring could not revive a member from the Brotherhood of the Five. …And _still_ , Elena shook her head in denial, viciously yelling at Meredith to leave her sight, not wanting to believe that her selfishness resulted in her brother's death.

A few hours later, Damon and Bonnie's plane landed and they finally joined the others congregated in the Gilbert Residence. The indoctrinated witch wasted no time in revealing her insane plan to Stefan, Elena, Caroline, Tyler and Matt – all five of whom were gaping at Bonnie in unadulterated shock and a smidge of hope.

"It's called an Expression Triangle," Bonnie's cheeks were flushed with exhilaration. "I need to complete it for Silas."

Damon, who had already suffered under the nonstop jabbering of the insane witch's _certifiably insane_ and _highly suicidal_ plan during the whole flight back, overrode Matt's gasp of disbelief, and snarkily said – not caring that he was offending Bonnie in the process, "She's _out of her mind_! The nutty professor's got her _totally_ brainwashed."

If looks could kill, Damon would be ten feet under. "I'm _not_ out of my mind! I can do it," Bonnie confidently stated, eyes blazing fiercely. Matt, however, let himself be heard again, "Bonnie, you _can't kill_ _twelve people_!"

Slumping in slight defeat, Bonnie urged her friends to agree with her, "I know… look, _I know_ it sounds crazy, but it's the only way to get enough power."

"To do what?" Caroline hesitantly inquired, trading a cautious glance with Stefan, Damon and Tyler, unwilling to admit that her best friend was freaking her out. Damon was dead on with his 'nutty professor' comment, Shane really did a number on their resident, level-headed, moral witch. Sucking in a deep breath, Bonnie uttered four words that had everyone but Damon, shocked into silence, "To drop the veil."

Stefan was the first to recover his voice, "Drop the veil? What does that even mean?"

"What that means," Damon forcefully chimed in, ignoring Bonnie's heated glare of promised murder, "Is the myth about Silas being able to raise the dead is not _just_ _one_ , or _some_. It's _every_ supernatural being over there!"

"Once the veil is dropped, the Other Side doesn't exist anymore. There's nothing separating us. We're all just one," Bonnie added in an adulating tone that had goosebumps erupt on her friends' arms and the nape of their necks. Damon once again added his input, seeing as the others were all tongue-tied, "Three massacres, three hot spots, and the witch spell of the century, and every supernatural being over there is back with a vengeance! It's suicide, Bonnie!" Damon snarled, and to Bonnie dismay, Caroline – of all people – spoke up in full agreement with Damon, "Bonnie, you are talking like a _crazy person_. You are not killing 12 people! And you sure as hell can't invite every monster who has ever died _back into our world_!"

Elena sat among them in a zombie-like state, silently listening as her friends argued back and forth, and in her own selfish trance, she found herself inwardly agreeing with Bonnie, not caring over innocent people suffering as long as she had Jeremy back.

Aggravated and incensed, Bonnie abruptly stood up, knocking her chair over in the process, the loud bang quieting her friends' litany of disagreements. " _I can do it_! I _have_ the power! We can bring _everyone_ back! Jeremy," she pointedly stared at a tearful Elena, "Alaric," she concentrated her blazing glare on Damon, "Vicki, Mason," in turn she snapped her gaze to Matt and Tyler, "My grams."

In a weak voice, Caroline stuttered, "Bonnie, stop it. You can't just say that."

"As much I want Mason back, Bonnie," Tyler struggled to speak his mind, "You can't bring the good without bringing the bad back into our lives."

Seeing as Damon was lost in the newly-awakened thoughts of having Alaric back, Stefan took up the mantle of stating the ugly facts, "Tyler's right. Doing this Bonnie, you're bringing back Esther, Mikael, Finn, all three of whom would kill Klaus, therefore killing _all of us_ in the process. Not to forget Kol, who will definitely be hell-bent in seeking revenge, especially against Elena."

Before Bonnie could refute his statement, or the others could contribute to the argument, a voice they never expected to hear, a voice belonging to somebody they thought they had gotten rid of, permeated the air.

"Salvatore isn't wrong there, darling." Simultaneously, seven pairs of eyes widened fearfully at the newcomer standing nonchalantly and at complete ease behind the threshold of the front door, smirking smugly at them, a malicious glint in his mahogany eyes, "Did you all miss me?"

Swallowing the lump from her throat, Elena finally spoke for the first time since kicking Meredith Fell out of her home, " _Kol_?"

"In the flesh. I do believe we have a score to settle," a very _alive_ Kol grinned manically.

 **A/N:** **Da-Da-Dum! I know, I know… I left you all with a cliffhanger after over two months of absence… please don't kill me!**

 **(1) Kol is finally back! YAY! (2) As you can tell, the dynamic in the Mikaelson family will be happening differently with Zoe's inclusion. (3) As you noticed, this wasn't a pro-Elijah chapter. Now, while Elijah is my least favorite Original- I don't hate the dude, I just prefer Klaus, then Kol, and then Rebekah most of all (in that order). And while they always blame Klaus for everything, in my opinion, I believe Elijah was the cause of everything, they simply like seeing our favorite Original Hybrid as the Big Bad** _ **all the bloody time**_ **! It won't be an Elijah-bashing story, but I will be portraying everyone (except Klaus) in BOTH a good and a bad light. (4) The first scene of this chapter… I found it odd that Kol's entire bloodline spontaneously died all around the world and the supernatural world wasn't exposed. I mean, seriously? And yes, there was a small mention of Zeus if anybody noticed. (5) Next chapter, Rebekah will be back. I just couldn't fit her in this chapter as she was in the island the entire time. (6) The whole Qetsiyah Bennett part was a spur of a moment thing… I don't know where I'm going with it, but I'll just see where each chapter takes me. (7) Also, I meant to add a flashback in this chapter, but I decided to postpone it for the next chapter and maybe make it longer since I didn't add it in this chapter. Hope you all don't mind. (8) Lastly, the entire plotline will be different from canon, while I might have some things happen like in canon, there will be many things happening differently. I'm just stuck on whether to have Bonnie have the Other Side break down… let me know your thoughts on that?**

 **I wonder what the Scooby Gang's reaction will be to Kol's resurrection. ;)**

 **R &R.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** **All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters, ideas and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

 **A/N:** **Azalea "Zoe" Mikaelson – Holland Roden.**

 **Chapter 4:**

" _Karma comes after everyone eventually._

 _You can't get away with screwing people over your whole life, I don't care who you are._

 _What goes around comes around. That's how it works._

 _Sooner or later the universe will serve you the revenge that you deserve._ " – Jessica Brody.

* * *

 _ **Mystic Falls**_

 _ **Gilbert Residence**_

" _Kol_ ," Elena repeated, fear and shock plain on her features, "H-How-"

"How am I alive?" Kol finished for her with relish, savoring the potent aroma of fear pervading the air. Emulating the perfect picture of nonchalance, Kol crossed his ankles together, and although mirth was detected in his tone, his mahogany orbs were like steel, burning through each individual in the doppelgänger's abode with the promise of future pain. "I'm hurt, doppelicious. I would have thought you'd all be expecting me. After all, darling Zoe did mention I'd be alive and kicking to Goldilocks and Eddie Quist over there," the resurrected Original lazily waved a hand between Caroline and Tyler, both of whom were as pale as a ghost.

Caroline's reaction was immediate; her cornflower-blue eyes never left Kol's relaxed stance, ignoring the hubbub of her friends. "But-but I thought it was another empty threat," she choked out, Tyler nodding fervently from her side. When the enigmatic Zoe mentioned Kol's impending return, they took it with a grain of salt.

"You failed to mention _that_ crucial piece of information, Barbie," Damon snarled, standing protectively in front of a rapidly paling Elena.

Kol's lackadaisical posture turned rigid by the end of the blonde vampire's genuine confession, his face hardening with malice at the Mystic Falls Gang. The fact that Caroline Forbes stated 'empty threat' to be subconsciously prefixed by 'another' was a slap to the face, portraying how _the_ almighty Originals who had all supernatural entities quake at the mere mention of their name, had fallen. " _Another_ empty threat, dear _Car-o-line_ ," he dangerously purred, "I thank you for bringing that _fact_ to my attention. _Truly_ , I do. You see, from now on, there shall be no more 'empty _threats_ '." And as though proving a point, the Wildest Original disappeared for a split second, before reappearing by the front door, an inch away from the threshold, with a tank of gasoline and a box of matches in hand.

"What are you doing?" Matt unnecessarily asked, eyeing the container with trepidation. Kol's gaze fell onto the only human in the room with the misfortune in picking out friends, "Sorry mate, nothing personal. I know my little sister's taken quite a liking to you, but she got over that quickly since she jumped right into bed with the broody Salvatore. If it's any consolation, I _was_ rooting for you."

Stefan began to speak in an attempt to alleviate the perilous situation and have them all walk away with their lives fully intact, but Damon interjected, "I can easily get out of here and kill you all over again! Don't you dare light that up!"

Now _that_ was an empty threat… a quite pathetic one, really.

Amused, Kol started the process of emptying the container, the hazardous liquid splashing onto every surface he could reach from his place by the door. "You see, Damon, _that's_ a perfect example of an empty threat. What do you think I've been doing when your bitch had me killed?" he sneered, eyes glaring daggers at the frozen doppelgänger. "Twiddling my thumbs? Counting pennies? Feeling remorse? _No_. I've been watching you. _All of you_. And the only weapon that could kill me was given to my dear sister by your dull-witted girlfriend. However, I did enjoy watching the little hunter die from the peanut gallery." Kol flashed a sobbing Elena a mock smile of sympathy, "My _sincerest_ condolences. Karmic intervention can be such a bitch, aye?"

Tossing the empty container over his shoulder with a loud _thunk_ , Kol lit up the first match, a malicious grin on his handsome face that only grew more pronounced when the Bennett Bitch tried and failed to give him an aneurysm, courtesy of Zoe's benevolent contribution.

"Why isn't it working?!" Bonnie fretted aloud, garnering her friends' absolute attention, "I'm trying several spells to stop him, they're not-"

The Original decided to let the panicked witch stew on her failure.

"You know what," Kol mused out loud, and he snuffed out the small ball of flame. "Two contributed in my death; one is dead already. And while the Ripper and our favorite Bennett Bitch were involved in the doppelgänger's devious plot, I am feeling quite generous. How about a nice little deal, aye? Invite me in, doppelgänger, or come out. Either way I don't care. I kill you and in return, I leave all your admirers alone."

Seeing that Elena was seriously considering Kol's ultimatum, Damon curled a firm hand around her bicep and roughly yanked her to his side, "Don't you dare, Elena. He's bluffing, he won't do it."

"Am I now," Kol arched an eyebrow, leisurely picking another match from the box. Stefan cautiously spoke up, his words reeking with certainty, "Klaus needs Elena to make more hybrids. You kill Elena, and you'll end up back in your box."

Shrugging, Kol smirked, "Oh well. If that's the case then…"and without further ado, he tossed the lit match into the room, " _Ooops_. My bad."

Impacting with the stream of gasoline, the flames split up, slithering throughout several canals, and in tantalizing slow motion, they roared to life, taking up a life of its own. Kol stood rooted to his spot, elatedly observing as they tried to escape the many path of flames, while yelling for the witch to use her magic. However, Kol's fun was abruptly paused when they extinguished in a comical 'poof', prompting him to scowl at the newcomer's interruption.

"About time, witchy," Damon ungratefully snapped. But Bonnie was flummoxed, "It wasn't me. I didn't do this."

" _I did_ ," a melodious voice permeated the air; the Mystic Falls Gang whipped around to discern the owner of the sweet voice, and only two features dawned with recognition, having already had the displeasure of meeting her. The gorgeous woman confidentially sauntered into the house, her killer heels clicking ominously with every step, "I believe it's time we had a little chat." Forest green eyes raked Caroline's form. "Pumpkin, I see the color returned to your face. No hard feelings, eh," she smirked, a mocking quality to her tone.

Caroline glowered back, but otherwise, smartly kept her trap shut and sidled closer to Tyler, while keeping a protective hold on Matt's forearm.

A contemplative look furrowed Stefan's brow as he scrutinized the overconfident intruder; for some puzzling reason, Stefan felt as if he should know the woman. Although Stefan was certain he had never encountered the blonde in his lifetime, she looked familiar…

"Let me guess. You're the _lucky_ Mrs. Klaus Mikaelson," Damon drawled, glaring daggers at her. Zoe pursed her lips together and banished all notions of Damon Salvatore's identity as her uncle from her mind. "Mmmhmm, and you must be Mr. Salvatore, the brother that doesn't have a brain to mouth filter installed. _Pleasure_ ," she dryly uttered.

Damon scowled, especially when he noticed that everyone but Elena found amusement in her statement, despite her being a Mikaelson.

Kol groused out from the threshold, "Zoe, you're disrupting my revenge."

"Sorry, carissimo, but we've got bigger fish to dry," Zoe subtly sent the sullen Original a 'we'll-discuss-this-later' look before moving her gaze to Elena. "Before we have our little chat, it's quite rude to keep a guest stranded by the door, don't you think, Ms. Gilbert?" she rhetorically inquired, and before the others could intervene, Zoe softly commanded, "Invite him in."

Damon scoffed, staring incredulously at the latest Mikaelson, "Yeah, no! Fat chance of tha-"

"Kol, come in," Elena's invite had the Gang reeling in shock, especially when Kol smugly strode inside and jovially plumped himself on the couch, resting his legs on the coffee table to better witness the fireworks. As though awakened from a trance she hadn't been put in, Elena's widened eyes focused on the irritatingly calm Zoe, "H-How?! I'm on vervain. You, you _compelled_ me!"

"I'm not a vampire, sweet cheeks," Zoe retorted.

True to his impulsive nature, Damon moved to rip Zoe's heart out, however, just as his hand was an inch away from her chest, Kol collided into him with brutal force and slammed him against the wall, his hand plunged inside and tightly gripping his heart, evoking a pained groan from the raven-haired vampire. "You dared to harm another member of my family!" he hissed, face vamping out as he squeezed the cavity.

Zoe demanded Kol to release Damon, forest greens blazing like an inferno as she met the gaze of her uncle, and she trampled the emotion of hurt and betrayal as she softly disentangled her brother-in-law from the shaken vampire. "Thank you, Kol, but killing him is unnecessary. You would do well to think before you act, Salvatore," she sneered. Kol's glare never left Damon's pallid visage as Zoe approached Elena, almost daring the reckless vampire to make another move.

"Elena Gilbert. Always the poor victim, never the culprit, hm?" Zoe mocked her, her breathtaking features contorted in distaste. "In one year, you lost four parents, and poor Auntie Jenna. In the span of five months, you lost your stepfather and your brother. How utterly… _tragic_ ," she whispered in a conspiratorial manner, though everybody heard her loud and clear. Elena, her face the color of bleach, trembled due to a mixture of rage and grief, and her hands clenched and unclenched as though itching to rip off Zoe's head. However, Zoe's next words extinguished her murderous intentions. "I could bring dear Jeremy back you know. It's a simple procedure… as easy as riding a bike."

Kol gaped at his sister-in-law in betrayal, but before he could express his ire, Zoe's melodious voice reverberated in his head, revealing her offer was no more than a deception.

Simultaneously, Matt suspiciously inquired, "What's the catch?" and Bonnie gasped in incredulity, "You can do that?"

"Who do you think is responsible for Kol standing among us? As for the catch," Zoe coquettishly uttered, "there is _one_ itsy bitsy stipulation, and it's up to Elena to fulfill. _Interested_?"

Elena nodded wholeheartedly; hope springing at the chance to be reunited with her brother again. The others warily followed Zoe's movements, watching as she reached out to the back of her jeans pocket and produced a wooden stake. Zoe simply offered it to the doppelgänger, "A life for a life, Elena Gilbert. So… what's it going to be?"

Pandemonium struck; Elena was reduced to tears, chocolate orbs focused intently on the sharp point of the stake; Kol looked as though all his dreams had come true and was inwardly impressed with his brother's wife… very sneaky. No matter what Elena chose, she wouldn't be reunited with the little hunter, and Kol's revenge would be doled out, for if Elena were to kill herself, Jeremy would be inconsolable, unable to live his life knowing that he was living one due to his _dear sister's_ sacrifice.

Damon violently snatched the stake and haphazardly tossed it into the fireplace. "No! We don't want, nor do we need your help. Elena, we'll find another way," he tried making himself heard over Elena's hysterical bawling. Bonnie nodded, rubbing soothing circles on Elena's back as she backed Damon's claim, "Exactly, Elena. We don't need the Mikaelsons, I'll bring him back. _I promise_!"

"Oh, you will, will you?" Zoe commented bitingly; Caroline and Tyler had yet to utter a word since her intrusion, but their expressions were easy to read, and she clearly deciphered their disapproval with Bonnie and Damon, endearing them to her, despite their incessant attacks against her husband. The temperature dropped in the room, prompting everyone but Zoe and Kol to shiver. Zoe stepped up to Bonnie, disregarding her personal space, "Let me make myself _perfectly_ clear, Bennett Junior. You're involving yourself in matters that are _way_ above your pay grade."

"What are you-"

" _Spirits talk, Bonnie Bennett_ ," Zoe hissed, interjecting the foolish witch. "They already forsook you, stripped you of your birthright to teach you a lesson. Tormented your grandmother. And yet, you _still_ haven't learned your lesson!" Zoe allowed her gaze to travel to each and every individual in the room, "I want Katerina Petrova. And you are going to bring her to me. Then, I'm going to pry the cure from her and shove it down Silas's throat, and if any one of you try and fight me on this, or backstab me, I promise you, I'll make sure you live to regret it, because when I make a threat, I carry it out. Don't make an enemy out of someone you don't know."

Zoe motioned for Kol to follow her out, which he grudgingly did. Her hand on the doorknob, Zoe gained their attention before her departure, "Oh, and Damon? I strongly advise that you remove that ridiculous plan from your head. If you abuse your sirebond to turn off Ms. Gilbert's humanity, she won't have any emotions and therefore, you won't be able to activate the bond again to return her humanity. And Ms. Bennett, don't forget, I'll be watching you."

Spluttering, Damon gaped at the front door that had just closed behind the two Mikaelsons, "How did she know about that?" He was thinking it… _could it be? Is it possible she read his mind?!_

"Klaus's wife is… intense," Matt breathed out.

Stefan however, separated himself from the rest as they tried comforting Elena; before Zoe left, she looked straight _at_ him, and her voice echoed in his head, ' _Heed my advice, Stefan. Break free from the doppelgänger's influence. Fraternizing with Elena Gilbert would do more harm than good._ '

* * *

 _ **1860**_

" _Buon compleanno_ , cara!" Gianna De Luca exuberantly grappled her darling granddaughter into an embrace, "I cannot believe you are _sixteen_ already. Come, come. Let us eat, you are all skin and bones, I must fatten you up. Come, come."

Veronica fondly shook her head and followed her grandmother to the kitchen where they dined in a comfortable silence.

It had been thirteen years since Gianna returned to Italy with her granddaughter, and Veronica had evolved into a remarkable girl, and an exceptional witch under Gianna's tutelage. On her twelfth birthday, Veronica had been informed of her prestigious heritage, and her parentage, including the existence of her twin. Almost instantaneously she despised her father and his Coven for hunting down her family, and held a certain disdain toward her mother for not only abandoning, but betraying her own family to their enemies. Veronica did not consider herself a Tulle, nor a member of the Gemini Coven, but a proud De Luca whose aim was to carry out the legacy of her Lord.

As per ancient tradition, when a De Luca was nearing majority, which was anytime between the ages of sixteen to twenty-one, the witch or warlock would be given permission to commune with their Lord and make enquiries to their heart's contents. For that particular reason, an impatient Veronica scarfed down her breakfast, too excited to finally confront her forefather and identify his face.

"Cara, you are acting like a Neanderthal," Gianna weakly rebuked her granddaughter. "Maintain decorum during mealtimes, even if it _is_ just the two of u-"

 _CRASH!_

Grandmother and granddaughter jolted in fright and shot to their feet at once. Voices accompanied the crunch of footsteps grinding the debris of the destroyed front door. Knowing the intruders could be none but the Gemini Coven, Gianna ordered for Veronica to remain out of sight while she dealt with them.

Clamping a hand tightly over her mouth, her back flush against the wall, Veronica sharply listened in to the ongoing struggle; grunts and yells accompanied Gianna's many incantations, noting that a few hexes were invoked non-verbally. The furniture exploded, intruders cursed, and Veronica distinguished a few choking on their own blood. And just as relief consumed her, thinking her grandmother was the victor, a bloodcurdling yell echoed throughout the foundations.

" _NONNA_!" spurred by fear and the need to protect her last living relative, Veronica impulsively charged into the living room, wide blue eyes taking in the wreckage, the blood, and the dead bodies littered on the ground, until they finally landed on the fallen form of Gianna De Luca, her expressive jade eyes eerily vacant and her mouth open in mid-spell.

" _Another_ abomination?" a warlock hissed to his surviving two companions, all three of them staring at the familiar looking girl in shock. The lone witch cocked her head to the side, brown orbs raking Veronica's form, "She is the spitting image of Valerie Tulle. You don't think-"

Screaming in fury and grief, Veronica waved her hand in a slashing motion, non-verbally decapitating the witch before she could finish her hypothesis and expose her secret. The two warlocks gaped at their companion's detached head as it rolled to their feet.

Veronica, driven by rage and vengeance, took over Gianna's fight. Suddenly, the sixteen-year-old felt death magic vibrate inside of her, it sang to her, and she knew her Lord had come to her aid. Invigorated by its potency and the new aura that engulfed her, Veronica successively liquefied one of the two warlock's organs, and just as she turned to slay the last warlock the Gemini Coven sent over, his hex impacted her.

Stars flooded Veronica's vision, and through the haze of tears, she caught the smug grin on his face. She lost the battle with her consciousness and a positively brutal war cry emanated from her lips just as she collapsed onto the ground and welcomed the darkness, her hand unconsciously reaching out to interlace with the immobile one of her grandmother's.

* * *

 _ **Mystic Falls**_

 _ **Mikaelson Mansion**_

Klaus rolled his eyes and let out a sigh of relief as he parked the car in front of the Mansion and released the steering wheel from his vice grip. Rebekah scowled at him from the passenger seat, "If you couldn't stand to be near me, why bother picking me up from the airport?! I could have made do without your _kindness_ ," she sneered; kindness and Niklaus were uncomplimentary after all.

"Zoe insisted. Especially after those morons you hitchhiked with abandoned you on that godforsaken island, Rebekah," Klaus snarled through gritted teeth; the mention of Zoe's name was like a balm, for Rebekah's hostile disposition cooled down slightly and her expression softened, seemingly mollified. Slamming the car door, blue-green eyes connected with the cerulean eyes his darling sister inherited from Mikael, "The _entire_ ride over you've been harping on and on about the cure, my deception regarding Zoe's living status and Katerina blood Petrova. Of course I'm relieved to be away from you!"

Rebekah scoffed, not taking her hotheaded brother's words to heart. She obediently followed Klaus into the Mansion, giddy with joy to see the best friend she thought had perished decades ago. However, the last thing Rebekah expected, was to see _Kol_ – alive and kicking, in the midst of a heated argument with Zoe – looking perfectly healthy for a woman who was supposedly dead.

" _Kol_?" her gasp went completely ignored as the two allegedly dead beings ensued their argument, eyes piercing one another and hands gesticulating wildly as they each made their point. Whipping around to face her dumbstruck brother, she hissed, "You failed to mention that our recently deceased brother has been brought back. _How is that possible_?!"

"In a minute Bekah," Klaus muttered as he tried grabbing the bickering powerful beings' attention.

" _You said I could have my revenge! All in due time, Kol. They will pay, Kol. Bullocks!"_ ; _"And they WILL, but not like that! Our enemies our more useful to us alive than dead at the moment!"_ ; _"Right. You've said that already. I fail to perceive their usefulness. Illuminate me darling!"_ ; _"I will, LATER!"; "You mean later once you've come up with a ridiculous excuse-"_

"ENOUGH!" Klaus bellowed.

Aware of their surroundings, Kol and Zoe looked between Klaus and Rebekah. Kol sneered at his younger sister and went to refill his drink. Although hurt by her brother's dismissal, tears cascaded down Rebekah's face when a genuine smile colored Zoe's features and the two best friends lunged toward each other for a suffocating hug, sealing their reunion.

"You've got a lot of explaining to do, Zoe! I _mourned_ you, I-I woke up after ninety years and was told you were dead-"

Zoe hushed the babbling Original and softly stoked her golden locks, "I promise I'll explain everything." Despite being over a thousand years old, Rebekah was a seventeen-year-old girl at heart, with an unhealthy amount of insecurities and had gotten by her immortality by compelling herself some friends. At least until Zoe came along.

Husband and wife kissed each other in greeting just as Kol stormed back into the room. "Oh. Hello, Bex. Did you miss me?"

"Of course I did!" Rebekah insisted, moisture brimming her eyes as she devoured her resurrected brother. Kol snorted into his bourbon, "Funny. I do recall you dismissing my death and pursuing the cure with my murderers. I'm sure you did."

Guilt marred Rebekah's gorgeous features and she shamefully looked away, averting eye contact from her brother.

"When I left you two, you were getting along fine. What happened?" Klaus asked in exasperation. Kol glared daggers at an equally furious Zoe and he spat out, "Your darling wife-"

"WIFE!" the materialistic vampire's eyes zoned in on the ostentatious wedding ring on Zoe's finger, cerulean eyes widening in awe and glee, "You got married?! When? How? Where? Tell me _everything_! I need _details_."

Klaus and Kol – despite his current fury – groaned, hoping they wouldn't be forced to listen to the girls gossip around like a bunch of teenagers. Zoe beamed, all anger diminishing from her features, and she stroked Klaus's forearms, her eyes twinkling with joy and adoration, "I tell you what, Bex. How about tomorrow, you and me, girl's day out, shopping, lunch, gossip?"

Tears blinded Rebekah's vision, her face alight with happiness – genuine happiness that Klaus hadn't seen since the 1920s. "Yes. Don't you dare back out, though!" Rebekah's voice however, lacked any venom and it came out as a desperate plea.

" _Anyways_!" Kol interjected, not about to admit that the elation visible on his little sister's face touched him deeply; Rebekah may have everything people would die for: money, mansions, cars, clothes, family, powers, beauty, immortality, etcetera, but she always lacked a true friend, and Kol was again grateful to the bloody necromancer. "I set out to achieve my revenge when your wife intruded and ruined my fun! Elena Gilbert _killed me_ , Nik! I thought we agreed that I can kill her!" he sounded like a petulant child instead of a furious one-thousand-year-old immortal.

Before Klaus could offer a response, Zoe heatedly interjected, " _We did_! But vengeance doesn't mean kill everything in sight! Dangling the fact that her brother could be resurrected if she dies is the perfect method of revenge! It'll eat at her until she breaks. It's the best form of torture!"

Kol sneered at his sister-in-law, "Oh, so you don't want the doppelgänger dead, is that it then? That's what you're saying!"

"Oh shut the fuck up!" Zoe hissed venomously, her knuckles whitening, "You weren't just about to kill Elena, and you know it!" Whipping around to face a flummoxed Klaus, she spat out, "Your _brother_ , was planning on burning the doppelgänger's house to the ground while the _entire_ Mystic Falls Gang were inside. Not _just_ Elena!"

And the penny dropped. Recognition dawned on his features, "Oh."

"Yeah. ' _Oh_ '!" Zoe retorted. Rebekah was even more confused at the exchange between her brother and best friend, and Kol's ire was reaching its breaking point as he impatiently snarled, "Would you bloody stop having a mental conversation and let us in on what's going on!"

Klaus pierced Kol with a solemn gaze, "The Salvatores are off limits. Do whatever you need to do, but leave the Salvatores _out_ of your vendetta."

" _Why_?" Rebekah and Kol intoned, confusion coloring their features.

Klaus silently gazed at his wife; it was after all, her decision whether or not she wished to reveal the secret only he had been confided in. Inhaling a deep breath, Zoe looked between her brother and sister-in law, "Because, Stefan Salvatore is my father."

" _What_?" they dumbly intoned, those word the _last_ thing they ever expected to hear.

* * *

 _ **New Orleans**_

 _ **French Quarter**_

The bell hung on the door of Jardin Gris chimed, alerting those within to the caller.

A beautiful woman in her mid-thirties with raven hair and sparkling blue eyes smiled gently at her fellow witches. Striding toward them, she rubbed a certain soft-spoken witch's arm in an effort to alleviate her fears; Katie had only confided in her about the relationship she had been pursuing with a vampire, worst of all, the King of New Orleans right-hand man. Ever since that shocking discovery had come to light, she feared the consequences Katie would have to face if their fellow witches, the vampires, and the Ancestors discovered the forbidden dalliance.

"Diana!" Bastianna sternly identified her presence, "You're late!"

She bowed her head in subservience at the rebuke from one of her Coven's Elders. "I apologize for my tardiness. Davina has caught a fever and I couldn't find a sitter at the last moment. I had to wait until she had fallen asleep."

Agnes and Bastianna glanced at each other, a silent conversation taking place and in unison, they nodded; Bastianna gestured for her fellow Elder to take the reins.

"Diana, as discussed, we have come to a mutual agreement to continue onwards with the Harvest as per our tradition. Jane-Anne," Agnes gestured toward an excited Jane-Anne Deveraux who waved at her, "Sylvia," Sylvia Lefebvre preened her hair in an arrogant demeanor, "and Crystelle," Crystelle Pasquet acknowledged her with a curt nod, "have appeased our ancestors by offering up their daughters, Monique, Abigail, and Cassandra. What say you?"

She felt her blood run cold and a vice-like grip squeeze her heart at what the Elders were insinuating. "You're asking that I offer my daughter as the fourth sacrifice?" Diana tentatively inquired, deftly concealing her skepticism regarding the entire barbaric ritual her Coven were adamant in reinstating.

"We're _asking_ ," Bastianna haughtily intercepted, "that you prove your faith by _proudly_ offering your daughter up as our last Harvest Girl, Diana Claire! The vampires have taken control of our city for too long. It is time we step up fromMarcel's totalitarian regime and his subjugation of the witches in the Quarter, and seize control! _What say you_?!" she menacingly demanded, cold green eyes daring Diana to refuse.

Diana's voice died in her throat, eyes flickering between her coven members, most especially the three mothers that quickly offered up their daughters as sheep for slaughter. "I-I-"she stuttered, at a loss for words, not liking the fact that she was put on the spot; suddenly, the image of her daughter, bedridden with a fever infiltrated her vision. Her mind conjured those eyes she had inherited from her that always, without fail, stared back at her with idolization and trust.

Decision made, Diana apologetically shot up to her feet, eyes blazing with fire that only a mother's love could produce, "I apologize, but I do not wish to offer my daughter for your sacrifice as a gambit for power. Truly, I am sorry."

With her head held high, Diana strode toward the door.

The door wouldn't budge.

"I apologize, Diana," Agnes gravely stated. Diana whipped around, resembling a caged animal as she met the harsh gaze of her fellow coven members. Bastianna too, got onto her feet, her index finger menacingly pointed at the distressed witch, "You never had a say in the matter. With or without your assent, Davina Claire _will_ be the fourth offering to our ancestors."

Diana allowed her eyes to flicker between each and every member of the French Quarter Coven, betrayal heavy on her features, most of all once directed at a guilt-ridden Katie who didn't even have the decency to establish eye contact. "You can't make me give up my daughter, Bastianna, Agnes! I won't let you," Diana put her foot down, her voice unwavering, unwilling to be intimidated by the sea of hostile expressions glaring back at her.

Agnes sorrowfully shook her head, "We won't force you, Diana. You _will_ give us your consent… and you _will_ prepare Davina for the Harvest. _Involuntarily_."

* * *

 _ **Mystic Falls**_

 _ **Mikaelson Mansion**_

Sequestered in their room, Klaus and Zoe were a tangle of limbs as they spooned each other under the sheets.

After Zoe aired her secret to Kol and Rebekah, she immediately left their presence and took solace in the bedroom, communing with the spirits while Klaus did damage control. She wasn't interested in watching the fireworks downstairs; Kol despised the Salvatores from the moment he emerged out of his coffin a few months back, and Rebekah had a romantic history with her biological father, which turned Zoe's stomach at the mere thought of it. The main reason Klaus had Rebekah daggered in the '20s was because of her, consuming Zoe with guilt…

"What are you thinking, love?" Klaus softly cupped her chin to better achieve eye contact. Forest green orbs gazed up at him, remorse evident in its depths, "You think Rebekah will ever forgive me? I mean… I am mostly to blame for her stint in her coffin."

Klaus chuckled, kissing the tip of her nose in adoration, "Bekah loves you, sweetheart. Never doubt that." Zoe hummed in return and burrowed herself deeper in his strong arms, senselessly drawing patterns on his forearms with the tip of her fingers. After a while, Klaus spoke up, breaking the tranquil silence, "I got a call earlier when I went to pick up Rebekah. From that wench, Hayley."

Scowling, Zoe shifted to better observe Klaus, "What does that harlot want?"

Hayley Marshall had scored herself a position in Zoe's little black book, her name somewhere between the Top 5 individuals she wished to annihilate. Not only had the she-wolf plotted against her husband's back by turning his hybrids against him, but Hayley ended up being a two-faced, back-stabbing whore and had betrayed those hybrids who looked up to her for guidance and left Tyler Lockwood to reap what she had sowed. In Zoe's opinion, people like that bint couldn't be trusted and were the true abominations.

"Apparently, she's found herself in quite a pickle," a wolfish grin materialized on Klaus's devastatingly handsome features, prompting Zoe's eyes to gleam with interest. "The ever elusive Katerina is sending vampires after her."

Zoe scoffed, "How predictable of her. Katerina and Hayley conspired together and now that the doppelgänger has the cure in her clutches, she no longer has a need for the wolf. Tying up loose ends by murder. Only Katerina."

"Yes," Klaus mused aloud, "The she-wolf arrived to the same conclusion. She offered me information regarding Katerina's whereabouts, and in return, I give her my protection."

A Cheshire smile took over Zoe's face, intriguing Klaus, "What do you know, my love?"

"What _don't_ I know," she pleasantly retorted, schemes and best methods of retribution raveling and unraveling in the recess of her mind.

* * *

 _ **1860**_

When Veronica came to, she found herself in a strange room, a figure diligently sitting by her beside.

"You're awake," a familiar voice hoarsely stated.

Blinking the haze of darkness from her vision, Veronica found herself on the receiving end of a pitying gaze. "Evelynn?"

"Oh, my child," Evelynn Claire, her grandmother's best friend, stared solemnly at the sixteen-year-old, dabbing the influx of tears with a handkerchief.

"Nonna's dead, isn't she?" it was more of a rhetoric question, for Veronica had already taken a glimpse of her corpse. Evelynn nodded sadly, "I traveled the distance at Gianna's request, hoping to make it on time for your birthday celebration. I arrived in time to dispatch the last Gemini witch. Unfortunately, I was too late, for he struck you with a dark hex."

Stretching, she winced at the sharp pain that wracked her body at the simple movement, and in a serious tone, asked, "What's the verdict?" when the older witch hesitated, she said, "I can take it, Evelynn. I already lost my last relative to those, those _monsters_! How bad could it be?"

Apparently, the situation could get worse.

"You're barren."

To ensure the De Luca line could no longer flourish, an unspeakable act, almost taboo to witches, had been made. Veronica was incapable of producing any offspring of her own.

 **A/N:** **Whew… I hope you enjoyed this chapter.**

 **(1) The flashbacks are VERY important for the plot of my story, so keep that in mind! XD (2) The Claire Witches play a very important role in my story as you can see. (3) And we're finally entering the New Orleans plot, but I am deviating from canon, so things will happen very differently. (4) I don't know about you… but I found it odd that only Monique Deveraux's background was introduced; after all, Jane-Anne and Sophie were the ones that began the entire plotline for The Originals. So I decided to portray that** _ **yes**_ **, the other Harvest Girls** _ **did indeed**_ **have a mother. LOL! Diana Claire will play an important part… and maybe even Katie? ;) surprises for later… (5) Did you like the confrontation with the Scooby Gang? XD I had fun writing it… Zoe's ingenious when it comes to the art of torture, after all… she did marry Klaus.**

 **Next chapter: We will have more Mikaelson gatherings & the Mystic Falls Gang as well. Plans for Hayley and Katherine will come to light, and Elijah **_**might**_ **be mentioned. It all depends on how the plot goes.**

 **POLL:** **Katherine Pierce: Should she…? (A) Have the same fate as Canon & die? (B) Play a role in the future & remain elusive. (C) Kalijah Shippers – End up with Elijah? **

**R &R. **


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